Gundam Seed Intervention
by Illuviar
Summary: I decided to try my hand with the SI genre. I awoke in an Earth Alliance shuttle, after being informed that I was drafted to clean up the mess that is the CE. Lucky me. To make things even more fun, I was informed me that I have been fortunate enough to be turned into one of the EA's Human CPU's and if I did not toe the line the medicaments I now needed to function won't be coming.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny. They belong to their respective copyright owners and publishers. This work is not created with any commercial aims. I make no money from it. **

**Prologue: Shades of Gray**

**=GSI=**

**Location:Unknown; Time: Irrelevant;**

For those of you that do not know how this particular kind of clusterfuck starts – I was lucky (or unlucky enough depending on your point of view) to gather the attention of a ROB*. One moment I was at work, guzzling coffee like there was no tomorrow and trying to stay awake after a night of insomnia and then, just after I closed my eyes for a moment I was somewhere else. If you are wondering, no it was not an empty void. In fact I was floating in space with my jaw hanging open in stunned awe.

If you've seen pictures of Earth from orbit, then you know it looks magnificent. Those pics floating through the net have nothing on the real thing. At the time I just stared with the beautiful, blue sphere which I was facing. It did not register to me that by now I should have died from decompression. After all, just floating in orbit without the luxury of space suit is usually fatal...

"Nice view, isn't it?" asked a pleasant, female voice.

I tried to turn my head and see who was speaking. In vacuum! But despite my efforts I was just floating in place unable to turn around and see who or what was behind me. Then it hit me. I was in space!

My elation was short-lived – mere seconds before I comprehended that I was still alive despite the conspicuous absence of a space suit, I reached the obvious conclusion - that I had an especially vivid dream.

"Nope. You are not dreaming!" chirped the female with a tingle of amusement in her voice.

Riiight. A figment of my imagination is speaking to me. At least she has a lovely voice.

I decided to play ball. It was my dream after all so why not have some fun? What could happen? Me awakening? Granted, considering the insomnia I was suffering from lately that might be a bit of a problem... Not getting close to enough sleep is not fun at all.

"So, if I am not dreaming, then what's happening? I just became superman on steroids and now can ignore vacuum, not to mention that I have not yet frozen?" I quipped.

The figment of my imagination chuckled.

"No,silly! You just got conscripted!"

Say what?! In my opinion usually conscription is not a good thing. Especially if you are the one who gets shafted by it...

"I've been looking for someone like you for a long time, and I mean Long!" declared the woman.

I could feel the emphasis she was placing on the word Long. As if it was especially important in a context I did not get. I had no idea then how significant that was.

"Uhuh. I'm nothing special you know."

"You are not that lucky. I have a use for you. I am afraid that I can't give you a good choice at the moment. I need your services. I prefer that you comply willingly but, well there are ways to make sure of your cooperation..." she said in a voice which had become hard as diamond.

Somehow I could feel that she'll prefer not to force my agreement but there was a sense of foreboding when I thought of disagreeing. I just _knew_ that she'll do whatever she had to in order to insure my cooperation. She'll hate it but that won't stay her hand. I suddenly hoped that this was really a dream...

A flash of light and I was standing on the bow of a **Big, **red spaceship. It was oddly familiar. It shuddered and in the next moment a giant robot flew beside me. It disappeared fast in the distance but not before I could recognize its general shape and coloring. It was the bloody Freedom!

Being a fan of all things mecha not to mention most MS, my first reaction was that of an utter glee at seeing this splendid machine. My second, considering where the Freedom and its pilot usually ended – smack middle of big troubles and even huger battles, was to pinch myself. Then again. Yup. It hurt. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"I am not dreaming, am I? " I asked in a small voice.

There was a silence for coupe of a seconds before I received my answer.

"No. You are more open-minded than most. You can figure it out, can't you?"

Being a lurker around the SB forums and other sites where fanfiction was being published, I had an inkling of what she was talking about.

And yeah, after reading a lot of fanfics, especially SI ones, I was a bit more open minded. I gulped and asked in a small voice.

"You are a bit different from most ROB's I've read about?"

A soft snort came from the right. I snapped my head in that direction but all I saw was endless void and the sparkling of distant stars. Without atmosphere and all the stuff thrown in it in the last century to distort the sky, the sight was incredible. However I have much more immediate concerns than staring at the stars. Ohh boy. A ROB had placed her attention on me. That won't end well. I just knew it.

This time she spoke from the left but there was nothing when I looked in that direction either.

"I'll tell you a deep, dark secret. Some of us, you call ROB's have few restriction placed upon us. What is relevant in this case is the fact that I can not directly meddle in the universe from which I come. With few notable exceptions..."

Now, I may not be the fastest bloke on the uptake but I had the sinking feeling that I was "recruited" to do her dirty job, the one she was not permitted to clean up herself. I suddenly was enveloped by a sense of profound satisfaction.

"You got it! " she chirped. "I have few jobs that need doing! Nothing too complicated or dangerous!"

Uhuh. Even without hindsight I knew that was probably the understatement of the century.

I could feel a presence closing on me. Her pleasant voice whispered in my ear.

"We are going to change the past!"

I just nodded. No point of telling her all the ways I could think of such an action backfiring. She most likely knew much more about it. My first impulse of calling her insane was not good idea either. At least I managed to keep my mouth shut. Antagonizing the ROB that brought me here, provided that this really was not an especially realistic dream was not good idea or conductive for my continuous survival. All she needed to do was to remove whatever force was keeping me alive and I'll have a first hand experience of how vacuum effects the human body. That's something I'll pass, thank you very much.

"You are correct, you know. Most people would call me insane."

Ah. She's mind reader to booth. I'm fucked. Even if I could generally keep myself from putting my oversized leg in my mouth often, that did not mean I did think less than flattering things on all too oftem basis.

"No, thank you. As far as I am concerned my heart and body belongs to another." she deadpanned.

Wait, what!? Bloody women...

"Now let's be serious. I have a job for you. What you know as Gundam Seed and later Destiny, were in fact a TV dramas made about forty years after the event of the second show. While most facts are correct in the first anime, the second is pure fiction after the colony drop. An what if scenario if you will. The remains of Junius Seven hit the surface of the Earth mostly intact. It was an extinction level event. ZAFT managed to evacuate only a fifty million people before it was too late."

Suddenly I was watching the Earth again. Yet I barely recognized it. To be fair, if the Moon was not visible I wound not have believed that this was Terra. The planet was covered by thick, black clouds with massive storms visible from orbit. There were colossal lightnings dancing all over the globe, easily seen from my position.

This was a dead world. Whatever survived the direct effects of the impact would have been choked to death by the amount of dust thrown in the air. Not to mention frozen in the inevitable nuclear winter. What the impact would have done to the tectonic plates – awakening volcanoes and causing earthquakes all over the world was probably just an sideshow.

"Preventing this atrocity is your primary objective, however I need you to help cleaning up house within both the Earth Federation and ZAFT high command. I'll be able to give you limited support. Good luck."

**=GSI=**

I awoke with a startled gasp. My first thought was "Thank God this was a dream." Moment's later, when it registered where I was that turned to "Oh, shit." I was not sleeping in bed at home. Or even taking a nap at work ( never a good thing!) after a sleepless night. Oh, no. I was strapped in one of the seats in the passenger compartment of a shuttle.

Something shifted in my head. I winced as dull pain racked my brain before I received something resembling an info dump. Joy.

I was on board of X-42 Transport Shuttle, used primary by the Earth Alliance military to move people around their space stations and ships. It was a reliable flying brick which however was light on armor and had no weapons to speak of. No much sense to install some. It was not as if the transport could actually hit a MS which was paying attention to its surroundings or survive under a determined assault for more than a hit or two from anything fielded by ZAFT anyway. Not with any amount of armor plating that would be practical for a mass produced shuttle. As it was, the bloody thing was slow as hell.

'So... Not a dream.' I thought. I looked through the window which was placed in the bulkhead to the right and I was treated with a great view of a massive, that's the only word I could use, station. It was a cylinder, which was spinning lazily in space. The bloody thing was kilometer's long. I never noticed how I got out of the harness keeping me safely in place on my seat and went close enough to the window to press my nose to it and stare at the sight. The fact that there was no gravity in the shuttle did not register then. It was as if was normal, nothing to pay much attention to. The more concerning fact – that I knew how to move in such enviroment and did so as if it was natural did not register either.

Do you think how to walk before doing so? Or how to take something in your hand? You just do it.

My staring at the huge space station, a Space Colony, my mind interjected, was interrupted by quiet beeping coming from the front of my clothes. I blinked owlishly. Just now, I noticed the transparent reflection of myself in the window. Well, I looked like myself, however I was no longer overweight. That was great! On the other hand I was wearing a military uniform. It was light blue in color and familiar. As if it was natural for me to see myself in it. That was strange to say at least, considering that I have never been in the military!

Unbidden, the necessary information came to me. Earth Alliance officer uniform. The rank insignia was that of a first lieutenant. It was the standard issue, with a rank of ribbons on the left part of my chest, over the heart. I could recognize what medals they symbolized but when I thought how they could be received a splitting headache made me stumble. Disjoined pieces of what might have been memories not my own, flashed before my eyes.

**=GSI=**

_Multicolored explosions in space. Ranks of mobile armors flying to meet their nemesis – the ZAFT Mobile suits which were advancing as vanguard before one of their fleets. Tracers, hyper velocity pieces of metal, missiles and beams lit up the void of space. The armors were outmatched in all respects. The enemy machines were faster, tougher and most importantly more maneuverable. But worst of all, each of their pilots outclassed ours. One after another mobile armors crumbled, just more chaff for the fires of war._

_I was in a cockpit of a Moebius Zero Mobile armor. Four gunbarells, called Dragoons, which were the trump card of my machine, maneuvered independently under my control. With a gentle flicks of the control stick, my Zero was dancing under a barrage of slugs fired by trio of Gins. The ordinance was coming too close for comfort but my bird was still unscathed. My lips stretched into a feral smile. One of the coordinators was arrogant. He was concentrating on shooting at me and was a not paying enough attention on maneuvering. The fool appeared in the crosshairs of two of my gunbarells and I pressed the trigger. The HEAP rounds smashed into his machine which tried to evade in the last second. Needless to say, it was not fast enough. One line of tracers chewed up its right hand which was holding his heavy machine gun. Thew weapon's magazine cooked off and blew up taking the whole appendage up to the shoulder. However that was no longer concern for the pilot. The second Dragoon's munitions pierced the torso of the machine and exploded inside, shredding the coordinator. The MS itself did not blow up but simply started drifting out of control._

_The dead of the Ginn startled his comrades who surged forward. They were furious. Which was good. Angry people make mistakes. Which they did. In their attempt to end me they charged at me with little regard for their surroundings. Their attack lasted mere seconds before they were nailed by a wing of EA MA's which were moving to support me._

_I thanked the squadron leader and whipped my machine in new direction, continuing my hunt._

**=GSI=**

Well, that was weird. I shook my head in a futile attempt to clear the headache. Part of me was bewildered. Considering my apparent situation I should be freaking out. Or be a giddy like a school boy who had just got his greatest wish fulfilled. But I was mostly numb. My feelings were distant echoes, which should have felt wrong.

The insistent beeping had increased in volume during my vision or was it a flashback?! I winced when the volume of the infernal sound increased. After patting the various pockets in the front of my uniform I retrieved a small tablet. It was the source of the racket. It's screen was blazing in pink of all things, with a flashing white words saying "Press me! Now!" . I did so. I was curious and hopping for further explanation.

_"Dear Delkatar,_

_I hope you like the changes to your body. You are on route to Heliopolis and will be docking with the colony in few minutes._

Joy. Probably in the middle of the ZAFT attack.

_Don't worry, you have about a hour before the attack. Just enough time to reach the Morgenroete facility where the experimental Gundam's are waiting for their pilots. It is imperative that you head straight there. As it is no one will believe you if you try to warn the idiots running the show here about the imminent attack. Not that even if they heed your words there is much that they could do. In what some people on your world call gundamjacking you'll have to retrieve your machine during the middle of an attack. This is unfortunately the best I could do given the constrains under which I have to work. On the bright side if you are luck and good enough with your new machine you'll have a slight chance of saving Heliopolis. But I digress._

No pressure. No sir. Save a colony during an all out MS fight in it with D-Weapons to booth. Not to mention La Cruset, the Bastard, himself. I don't know how to pilot Mobile Suits damn it and even if I did what are the odds that I'll be able to survive against elite coordinators!?

_Now, please don't freak out. You have few things going in your favor. You have the skills and some of the memories of an Alliance ace. Delkatar, you might not remember, I am not sure how much of the information was transferred to you, but in this world you are Delkatar Veil, the second survivor from Moebius Zero squadron, who until recently was believed dead. In fact the man you are now, did die or at least his brain did before my intervention. The ONI spooks tried to save one of the Navy's aces by using procedures similar to those which create the Atlantic Federation's Human CPU's. On the bright side, you got most of their enhancements but yes, you guessed it, you need regular doses of medication._

Fuck. It's official. She's a BROB. You have no idea how hearing that I am one of those poor, drug addicted bastards made me feel. I stood, floating over a seat and trembling with despair and rage.

_I am truly sorry for what I had to do to you, Delkatar. I loathe what was done to those poor boys and girls on which the butchers from the federation experimented. However I am in positions in which simply abiding by my principles is not possible any more. I did so in the past and Earth paid with its destruction. I hope I won't have to use this leverage against you and that you'll do the right thing. I know you, Delkatar. You despise the maniacs from Blue Cosmos and the idiots like Patric Zala within the PLANTs. I hope you'll grab this chance and help me clean up this mess while it is still possible._

It's true you know. There was nothing better than the prospect of imminent, slow and agonizing death, at focusing your mind. So, I either play ball, or she'll cut off my supply of medicine. Lucky me. At least what she said she wanted was something I would like to happen if I am suck in this world permanently. Let's be fair, my, and everyone else's, chances of survival would be much greater if the genocidal maniacs on both sides are dealt with. On the other hand I was about to be thrown in straight into a war which was not mine. I shuddered remembering what happened to the poor bastards like me when the meds ran out. For a moment my numbness was gone and I felt terror like no other. I might die in combat, hell I might not even make it in one piece to the Morgenroete facility, however dying, well its easy. There were much worse things after all. And I was well aware what left unsaid by my new ROB lady "friend" . With her powers, just letting me die in agony was probably one of the milder things she could do to me if I did not follow her instructions.

_Now, that's just mean! I am not some crazy sadist! It's just an insurance. I am desperate, all right?! Beside do you think me dumb enough to let a Human CPU run free without a way to stop him cold if needed!? What if you went on a crazy killing spree or something?!_

My right eyebrow twitched. So, my ROB might not be a total bitch. Just mental... Just great... Wait a minute, why would she need the medicines as a deterrent for me doing something dumb? They'll work in order to force me in following her instructions but in case I went insane thanks to whatever was done to me that won't work as a deterrent... Unless since I am now in the GS world and her powers here are restricted, she'll not be able to just off me if I lost it. Which made a twisted kind of sense. Why sent me here to clean up this mess if she could just off the leadership of Blue Cosmos and the biggest bastards in ZAFT directly?!

_Ah, I see you got it. As I said I am restricted in what I could do here. That's why I brought you. Your mind was ideal for both the dimensional transfer and the CPU enhancements. There are reasonable chances that you won't go insane._

Lucky me...

_Now back to the important things. You have enough meds to keep you in tip top shape for two months. Considering that you are not getting brainwashed and the side effects of the procedure and chemicals used for it, you will be able to survive on some standard issue medicaments found in every EA ship's med bay. For short periods of time at least. I'll be replenishing your meds periodically provided you do your best to clean up the mess in which is the Cosmic Era. Look, on the bright side, I might be able to arrange a better machine for you. Eventually. If you live long enough._

_Good speed and good luck. And oh, yeah. Please try keeping Kira in one piece. With his attitude he could easily get himself killed. After all, this is not a TV show but a real world so no plot protection for him! Or you, for that matter!_

_Regards, your favorite ROB!"_

_PS: Try having a bit of fun! I know you love giant robots!_

After finishing reading the message I felt like smashing my head repeatedly on the nearest flat surface. At least my ROB was not going out of her way to troll me like some I've read about. If she was not lying through her teeth, that is.

Sooo. Now I am a bloody Earth Alliance lieutenant. Cybernetically enhanced one to booth. One that would be expected to slaughter coordinators with smile on his face. Joy.

New beeping interrupted my train of thoughts. This time it came from my wrist, where a nice looking watch was activated its alarm. Over the time, which was 14:46 PM, was a one word, flashing in red. "Pills" . Time to man up and drink the god damned witches brew that would keep me from thrashing on the ground and screaming in inhuman agony. I froze in place. I had no idea where the bloody medicine was...

**AN: Please Review! Constructive criticism is welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny. They belong to their respective copyright owners and publishers. This work is not created with any commercial aims. I make no money from it. ****

**Phase 01 : War Drums**

**=GSI=**

**Part 1**

**14:53 PM, Orb Colony Heliopolis**

Here I am, watching the inside of a space colony. This construct was an incredible engineering achievement. Even more stunning was the fact that the place felt normal, almost like being back on Earth. The gravity was seemed right, at least after the time my body has spent traveling in micro gravity or zero g in order to reach this destination. The air was clean and fresh, a pleasant surprise after the years spent living in a city back home.

For couple of minutes I just stood at the exit of the spaceport's terminal and took in the sights. While I intellectually knew that on this colony coordinators and naturals lived side by side, something that would have appailed many EA soldiers, the people who were milling around going on their own business looked normal. The only strange thing about the inhabitants was the fashion which looked a bit out of place to my senses. But that was all. It was relieving to know that I had not suddenly turned into a semblance of blue cosmos imbecile thanks to the memories of the man whose body I was inhabiting. Considering the uncanny resemblance between us, there were two possibilities – either my ROB has been creative, this was a weird quirk of genetics, or the man was descendant of my version who had lived in this universe. Not that it mattered much here and now. I had much more important things on my mind. My thoughts wandered for a bit.

**=GSI=**

I was fortunate enough to find my medicine stashed in a backpack, secured under the seat in which I awoke. They were secured between spare uniforms, socks and underwear as well as various small items you'd need on a long deployment. I scanned the prescription which was etched on the plastic, cylindrical containers in which the pills were located and took the necessary amount. I could not remember how much drugs the CPU's in the anime needed daily, but for me it was two different pills, twice a day. At least there was no need for injections. I squared my baggage and started thinking. I'll have at best forty minutes to find the Morgenroete facility and board a Gundam after the shuttle lands. If I disregarded the ROB's warning and tried to sound the alarm, the most likely outcome was me ending in the hands of Counter intelligence folks who would have some pointed questions. Telling them that I saw what was about to happen in anime, while being in another dimension won't fly. However, if by some fluke they believed that what I was saying to them was true, I was most likely to end making company to the three poor bastards who were Azrael's pets in the series. With full care for little old me – torture, brainwashing, erasing of memories and guaranteed withholding of medicine when the Blue Cosmos bastard felt like.

However the main reason why I decided not to try sounding the alarm was simple. Thanks to my new memories I was aware what were the forces stationed on this colony. Not enough to stop La Cruset team, but if they fought hard enough or even if they launched and showed that they are ready for an attack, the masked prick might decide to blow up the colony in order to deny the Alliance access to the G-weapons. Probably before I am able to reach the facility. Not to mention that the residents would need at time to reach the shelters...

My best bet to change the outcome of the battle was to reach the Gundams before the ZAFT MS attacked and launch to intercept them. If I was lucky, I might able to not only save the colony but save some of the forces station on Heliopolis. While by themselves they won't be a deciding factor, with a Gundam support they could change the game. Not to mention that if I am the first to activate one of the machines I might be able to prevent ZAFT from getting their hands on their own, but did I want to do so was another question to which I had no answer yet...

The pilot's voice, a young ensign if memory served, cracked over speakers installed throughout the passenger compartment.

"Sir, please return to your seat and strap in. We'll be docking with Heliopolis shortly."

I headed to my seat and did as instructed. I had no intention to experience how bouncing around the compartment felt.

**=GSI=**

Thanks to my clearance, which was amongst the highest necessary on this colony thanks to my status as Gundam pilot, I was hastily rushed through customs. And so I ended here, watching the peaceful colony. Something that probably was not the case any more if Athrun and his commandoes were already aboard. For a moment a stood still, reveling in the peace and quiet, something I felt would be lacking for a long time.

I headed to the nearby street , where empty electro cars, which were one of the modes of public transport on Heliopolis, were passing slowly, moving to the designated Stops where they waited for someone to board them. I headed to the nearest vehicle, which was resembling a modern looking sports car. It was sweet looking, silver colored machine. I threw my luggage to the passenger seat and sat behind the wheel. I used my identification to override the on board computer. I placed the tablet with which I had awoken near the radio and activated its automap function, which acted as heavily upgraded GPS system. I checked the best route leading to the Morgenroete facility and pressed the gas pedal. With the standard safeties disengaged, the car roared to life and accelerated to hundred kilometers per hour in seconds. I was both exhilarated by the speed and a bit scared. It was a long time since I pulled such a stunt.

Well, it was time to see if my new piloting abilities extended to driving cars...

**=GSI=**

The good news was that indeed, now I had the skills to be rather good racer. Though to be fair, the fact that the traffic was rather light helped a lot. Naturally there was a bad news. On my way I passed by the car in which Kira and two of his friends were traveling towards Morgenroete. If I remembered the anime correctly ( and if that information was correct here in the real world) that meant that I have precious few minutes before the attack started. Hell, the ZAFT commandoes were probably already in the facility or damn near it!

By my estimate, and if ROB told me the truth, I should have at least fifteen to twenty more minutes before all hell broke loose. I grumbled quietly. That however was not something I could change so I accelerated even further, pressing the car to its limits. According to my map, I was almost up to the gates.

I finally reached the entrance, where the car stopped with the screech of overstressed brakes and leaving twin, black trails of melted rubber behind. I hastily passed my identification through a panel on the wall that was placed for that purpose and stared at the camera which was build in. Apparently whoever was handling security decided that I am who I was supposed to be. A green light blinked on on the panel and the barrier which was across the entrance started coming down in its housing in the ground. I smiled with relief and entered. I could see in the rear mirror Kira and company approaching.

**=GSI=**

I parked near the main doors leading into the heart of the Morgenroete facility, which was build in the side of an artificial hill. Hill on a space colony. Under different circumstances my mind would have been frozen in awe for few moments but I just noted the sight. I grabbed my backpack and headed at the coordinated highlighted on my tablet. It was not the first time I wondered whether my unnatural calmness, considering my situation was because of my augmentation or thanks to the drugs I had to drink. That, amongst many others, was just another concern for later. If there was later. Barring a miracle I would be in battle within minutes.

The halls of Morgenroete were unexpectedly deserted as I was moving deeper within the facility, drawn as a moth to a flame by the coordinates where my machine was supposed to be. I wondered which of the G-Weapons ROB had decided to let me pilot. Soon a frown appeared on my face. I was going deep within the base, far deeper that I thought any of the machines were located, especially when you take in account that they were ready to receive their pilots and be moved to the Archangel for transport to Earth. I wondered what surprise ROB had for me.

I continued moving deeper and deeper in the facility. The damn identical corridors and the need to stop, present my identification to a computer terminal and wait for a door to open were nerve-wracking. I did not have time for this bullshit, damn it!

**=GSI=**

When I finally reached the last door, before my destination, at least according to the tablet, I sighed in relief. With a motion, I practiced dozens of times in the last fifteen minutes or so, I passed my identification through the security terminal near the door. It buzzed for a moment and blinked green. I smiled and pushed the door open to reveal a large, dark expanse. Underground hangar most likely. I took a step forward when the ground under my legs shook. Fuck it all! I was out of time!

I stumbled forward just as alarms started blaring throughout the building. A cool female voice, undoubtedly a recording, started ordering all personal to evacuate to the nearest shelters. I ignored it and made my way forward. I think the hangar had motion sensors within because I had not made a meter away from the entrance when powerful lights snapped on one after another, illuminating the dark hangar. First thing I saw were trucks with open trailers loaded with various sealed containers. There were seven of the machines. On the walls I could see various cranes and other heavy equipment. My sight soon fell on the prize. It was standing tall at the far end of the hangar. It was made of what looked like a dull gray metal, un-powered phase shift armor, my newfound training added context to what I was seeing. Despite the tremors shaking the Morgenroete facility I smiled. To my eyes, the mobile suit, no the Gundam, looked simply stunning.

**=GSI=**

**Part 2**

**15:41 PM, Orb Colony Heliopolis**

Standing by the ankles of an eighteen meters tall war machine is humbling. The Gundam looked like a cross between the Aegis and Blitz. It had the sleek, predatory appearance of the stealth MS, while retained the odd angles and shapes of the ride that Athrun used before being given the Destiny. Bloody beautiful!

A series of explosions rumbled and shook the building snapping me out of my drooling over the MS. I looked around and noticed an elevator platform which was perfectly situated to bring me up to the cockpit. I quickly boarded it and pressed the up button. I could not wait for the elevator to raise up. Preferably before the commandoes or the GINNs which were rampaging inside the colony brought the building down around me.

"Damn it!" I shouted when three more explosions rocked the facility.

Those were relatively close and internal if the sound echoing around the hangar and pounding my ears was anything to go by. The platform shook almost throwing me off. That would have been bad – it was already ascended about ten meters in the air. Something fell in the other end of the hangar causing a head splitting racked which was murder on my ears. I winced as the echoes of metal clanking on the ground and the sound of explosions mixed nearly deafening me. Who would have thought that the bloody hangar had such a good acoustics?

Finally the elevator stopped in front of the chest of the MS. I looked over the gray painted armor for the manual switch that should open the cockpit. I found it hidden between two armor plates. The bloody thing was secured all too good. I pulled with all my might and almost overbalanced and fell to my death trying to pry open the protective cover over the control. That would have been an embarrassing way to die... At least now I had access to the manual release. I pulled it and with a soft hiss of awakened hydraulics the front of the MS chest slid open revealing the dark cockpit.

With a small smile I threw my backpack on the barely visible seat inside and scrambled to enter. Once inside I secured my luggage into a compartment in the back of the cockpit, conveniently provided for just such purpose and sat in front of the controls. For few seconds I just watched at the dark displays trying to convince myself that I really was in the cockpit of a Gundam!

The first thing that stood out was that it looked familiar, but not from the anime that I had watched a long time ago. No. It was from half forgotten memories. I could almost see myself entering a simulator that was a mirror image of the real thing. My fingers moved on their own volition all over the controls. The dark displays lit one after another as the Mobile suit came to life. The front of the cockpit slid backwards, sealing me in a protective, armored cocoon.

The flat screen placed in front of me, between the controls showed the messages I expected as the OS initialized. The OMNI enforcer logo flashed for a second before the name and version of the OS were displayed proudly. You'd expect that something that is version 099 would be in somewhat operational order. I hoped that my ROB was feeling generous and it was optimized for baseline human use. I knew that I was not up to the task of reprogramming it at all much less in the middle of a battlefield.

The images on the screen changed showing the designation of the suit – GAT-X311 Dragon. Nice name.

Another flash and the power readings of the Gundam appeared in front of my eyes. To my satisfaction the batteries were full. Next on the list were weapons. I hoped that it had come preloaded with something more than the two glorified mail openers that the Stike had by default. I scrolled down the weapons menu and soon grinned like a madman.

2x"Igelstellung" 75mm Multi-barrel CIWS – nice to have but not particularly useful against MS.

Next was a fully charged beam saber. Yupee! I was apparently luckier ( or just my ROB was not such a bastard as the ones that were tormenting few other people on Space Battles!). However that was not what caused me to feel utter glee.

2x 50mm Beam Dragoon Pods with couple of attached "Lancer Darts" each. That was something I just knew I was familiar with and could use to a good effect. At that moment I could have kissed the ROB who sent me here.

Then my mouth watered.

2x "Scylla" 200 mm Multi-Phase Energy cannons. Bloody hell, that was scaled down version of the main gun of the Aegis which was one of the most powerful weapons mounted on any MS in this universe!

My glee was short lived. I had the sinking suspicion that all that firepower was not here to make my life easier, but to just give me a reasonable chance of survival. Not good for my continuous survival but I digress. I had more immediate problems right now. Like Le Cruset, the best space commander ZAFT had at this time and his hand-picked team rampaging in and around Heliopolis.

A small part of me wanted to just run away and hide in some nice, dark hole and avoid the madness that this war was. However that thought was pushed to the back of my mind as fast as it emerged. I shook my head. I had a mission to accomplish.

I did not know it at the time but my personality was changing, merging with the fragments left from the EA ace whose body I was inhabiting. That was one of the main reasons I felt too calm and detached at the time, but that was not something I found out for sure until near the end of the war. But that is a story for another time.

I concentrated on the controls and tried to relax my stiff body. I let the training I had inherited to take over and gently moved forward. With a screech of tortured metal the lift platform which let me get into the cockpit crumbled away when the MS took a step forward. The Gundam stumbled and only a hasty pull back on the throttle level, which in turn almost made the Dragon fall back, was all that prevented my brand new ride from taking a nosedive.

"Bloody hell!" I cursed quietly. The controls were too sensitive.

I carefully tested the range of motions on the arms and legs. The OS was making the controls on only overly sensitive but they were not quite precise enough. This thing in its current configuration resembled a damned deathtrap!

That thought reminded me that thanks to the Phase Shift armor, as long as the Gundam had energy, it was rather well protected. I winced and my right arm snaked towards the nice big button which activated said armor. I would have been sliced into small pieces if I went out without this defense active. Something I forgot to do. I had to get my head straight if I wanted at least a small chance to survive the day.

My tablet choose that moment to start beeping and startled me. My right hand twitched on the controls and the Dragon fell forward. My arms moved frantically over the controls. The mobile suit reacted immediately to my ministrations. Its arms shot forward to break off its fall. The Dragon few on hands and knees, crushing the frame of one of the trucks which I suspected were loaded with additional weapons and equipment for my machine. I hoped that there was nothing too important or fragile in the container that was in the truck back. The protective cover of the cargo had a giant hand shaped indentation.

With a quiet curse I retrieved the tabled from the pocket in my uniform where I had it stashed. "You have 1 new message." was written on its screen. With a frown I pressed the Mail icon. As far as I knew no one but the ROB was about to write to me at time such as this. Or was it from an acquaintance of Delkatar Veil, the man for all intents and purposes I was possessing?!

_"Hi there! I hope you like your new Gundam! I knew you'll have fun with it!_

_A bit of free advice – as soon as you get out of the hangar transform in the Mobile Armor configuration. It's similar enough to the old Zero you know how to handle. Good luck!"_

ROB all right. Couldn't she have sent that information earlier?! And what MA configuration? Was this machine a transforming model just like the Aegis? Huh. I guess that the similar outer appearance is not a coincidence then. This at least will somehow negate the fact that at the moment the Dragon was unusable by me as a combat Mobile Suit.

The X311 stood up under my careful ministration and headed towards the hangar doors. They were to my right and I did not notice them when I entered the hangar on foot. Well, then I was too busy gawking at all the nice tech lying around. Not to mention the eighteen meters of inconspicuous MS hidden in the back.

I saw no way to open the massive doors blocking the exit. Blowing them up with something was not a good idea – the blast wave could damage the rest of the trucks and make it even harder to move the equipment that my suit will undoubtedly need in the future. Considering the skills the opponents I was about to face, possessed, I did not believe that my machine would make it in one piece so this was stuff that I needed on board of Archangel.

Very carefully, the Dragon retrieved its beam saber and ignited it. It was time to see how much of a mess the ZAFT had made outside.

**=GSI=**

The saber made short work of the doors. Whatever stuff made the beam, utterly ignored the armor and cut through it as a fast moving, red hot, knife through soft butter. The Dragon left fist sped forward and with a loud clang pushed away the cut of segment of the doors. I made my way out fast, looking frantically for enemies. The high powered sensors situated in the head of my Gundam pinged the surrounding area. The first thing that was highlighted was the kneeling form of another Gundam, which was identified as the Strike a second later thanks to its IFF system which was active. Then there were the few still operation trucks which had passive beacons showing them as property of the G-Weapon project.

For the moment there were no enemy MS in the colony, at least ones close enough to be detected. The effective range of my sensors was cut short in urban environment which is what the interior of Heliopolis was. I idly noted that there were couple of teens near the cockpit of the Strike. Nearby on a bench I saw a brown-haired woman in orange work clothes identical to what the few Morgenroete personnel I saw earlier were wearing. Next to here was a young girl who was dressed in lighter orange dress and Kira Yamato who, just as everyone else was looking in my direction with huge eyes.

They were right to be worried. If I was a run of the mill ZAFT pilot they were likely to be collateral damage as the helpless Strike was blown to pieces.

The woman in engineer's work clothes had a gun in her left hand and she was glaring my way. Ah, this should be lieutenant Ramius. I grinned when something unexpected occurred to me. After Mu La Flaga I was probably the next most senior EA officer left on the station. If I remembered it correctly, Ramius was an engineer with no combat experience yet. A mischievous part of me wanted to have a bit of fun with her while another was pissed off at the other lieutenant who was in the process of threatening the civilians with her weapon. Well, at least I knew that she would turn to be one of the best ship captains of the war. The woman had great potential.

I flicked on the external speakers on my machine.

"Identify yourselves." My voice boomed over the speakers.

Ramius snarled in my direction. She probably thought that I was a ZAFT commando who wanted to have a bit of fun before murdering them.

"I am lieutenant Murrue Ramius, Earth Alliance navy." she spat.

Her shoulder's slumped and she lowered her weapon. Murrue glanced at the kids and looked at my MS.

"They are just bunch of civilians. Please let them go."

I smiled. It was good to see that she really had her heart in the right place.

"I am not in the habit of murdering civilians, much less a bunch of kids, lieutenant. I am Lieutenant Delkatar Veil, attached as a pilot to the G-Weapons project. Do you folks throw such parties here regularly of is this a special reception to celebrate my arrival?" I quipped.

Her eyes became huge when she heard my name. I uncomfortable premonition that the man in whose body I was stuck was a bloody celebrity in the alliance military. Oh, yeah. I was supposed to be the only other survivor from the legendary Moebius Zero squadron, almost as famous as Mu La Flaga. Lucky me.

"And, yes the rumors about my demise are grossly exaggerated. Obviously. So, Lieutenant Ramius, what is our situation? All I know is that someone tried to blew up Morgenroete with me inside. Though, judging by the pieces that suspiciously look like belonging to a GINN, I could make an educated guess."

"ZAFT attacked Heliopolis and got away with four of the mobile weapons. I've lost contact with all EA forces."

"It's never easy, is it?" I muttered. "Lieutenant Ramius, there is a bunch of equipment for my suit in the hangar behind me. We should secure it with anything useful for that machine." The Dragon pointed a finger its kneeling brother. "Strike, is it? The one designed with modular weapon packs for different roles? We should gather whatever is left of its toys too. What do you intent to do with the kids, ma'am?"

While I was reluctant to do it, right now we needed the teen's help. And Kira's expertise was vital even if this time around he did not immediately end as a Gundam pilot. Until we reached Earth it was unlikely that we'll meet someone who could reprogram the bloody OS and let me use the full capabilities of the X311. Besides, despite his flaws, Kira had the potential to become one of the greatest pilots of this age.

"That's the plan." Murrue said in calmer tone. I could see the relief on her face and those of the kids when they heard that I was friendly. "However, they've seen too much. I can't just let them go!"

I shook my head. Now, if it was because she needed their help right now, I could understand it. But as a matter of secrecy?! After ZAFT got four of the G-Weapons?! That was senseless. Oh, yeah. Military regulations. All to often they did not make sense to anyone who is not a REMF far behind the front lines. At least that's what my new memories told me.

"I see you have things over here under control. I'll try to re-establish contact with any surviving Earth Alliance forces and go scout the docks. I hope that the Archangel is still in one piece. It is our ride out of here after all."

The true reason I was going was that I hoped that La Flaga and Le Cruset were still battling outside the station. If that was the case I might be able to help my old friend to deal with the bastard and after that intercept any more MS attacking the colony. That was the plan, though I was aware that it would most likely fly apart the moment I made contact with the enemy forces. The alternative was to wait here and let the events unfold as in the anime. Something I just could not do. On my cameras I could see people still running towards shelters. A lot of them were women with kids. Damn it, by now they should have been somewhere safe!

**=GSI=**

Entering MA configuration turned out to be unexpectedly easy. I just needed to use the trustees to gains some altitude before hitting the switch which was on the right side of the control panel. It was sensibly placed where the pilot could not activate it by accident.

I was briefly disoriented as the Dragon twisted madly and shuddered as it changed form. Later, after I saw footage of my machine in action in its armor mode, I was pleased to note that it looked like a deadly predator. It was sleek, aerodynamic and with general shape and curves which made it look astounding. Granted its aesthetics did not have much to do with the way it handled in combat but I was glad that the X311 looked great in both its configurations. Plus it had a hover mode, which was an improvement over the Moebius armor I was familiar with.

I slowly hovered away from Ramius and the kids. She asked one of the boy's whose name I could not remember from the anime to bring one of the surviving trailers to them. Probably weapons and spare batteries for the Strike. For the next few minutes that was Murrue's show.

When I was at what I thought to be a safe distance, I pushed up the throttle and was slammed back in my seat as the Dragon accelerated madly upwards, toward the central cylinder, which was acting as a backbone for the station.

"This is Lieutenant Delkatar Veil to all alliance forces in this AO. Please respond. "

I tried to contact any friendlies in the area. However only static answered me. Not good. Not unexpected either, unfortunately.

I was flying and looking for the docks when an orange ball of fire blew from the central spine in front of me. I banked to the left, thankful that in MA configuration the Dragon was performing similar enough to a Zero for me to be comfortable piloting it. The only issue was that it was a bit sluggish in maneuvering but that was not surprising - the MA mode was build for speed attack runs.

The X311 was agile enough for me to move it out of the way of the explosion. That was the good news. The bad news is that my adventure almost ended when a white MS exited from the dying fireball, going straight in my way. I desperately pulled up while the ZAFT pilot frantically dived down. Our machines passed by each other by mere half meter.

It took me few precious seconds to realize that I almost kamikazed La Cruset! Not taking him out by ramming the bastard was something that I would live to regret.

The next thing I knew was the sound of machine gun bullets hitting the Dragon. The masked wonder was on my tail and he meant business!

**=GSI=**

**Part 3**

**15:49 PM, Orb colony Heliopolis**

Am I lucky or what? I've been flying in my newly acquired Dragon for no more than a minute before running into everyone's favorite masked maniac. To make matters worse, I just missed probably the best chance I'll get at ending the bastard. With the Phase armor active I had relatively good chances to survive a mid air collision intact. However the training and reflexes which I now had took over, I avoided the collision and that's how I ended in my current predicament - Le Cruset was flying behind me and using me for target practice.

The Dragon was still in one piece thanks to the Phase shift armor which was laughing at the projectiles impacting it. While that was great, every hit was draining a bit of my power reserves and the X311 was not nuclear powered. The battery, no mater how advanced would not last long under such onslaught.

I gritted my teeth and banked right, heading for the colony's central spine. I counted on my belief that La Cruset's machine, in its current configuration was not armed heavily enough to cause too much damage to the reinforced structure. I could hear the roar of the engines even though the cockpit was supposed to be sound proof, when I sent my MA in spiral around the main support pillar of Heliopolis. The white MS followed suit, keeping easily with my wild maneuvers.

Ordinance splashed over my armor with even more of it missing and blowing holes in the reinforced metal of the colony's spine. The X311 spun left, barely missing a small tower which was sticking from the structure around which I was weaving in a desperate evasion patterns. The shock-wave from my pass probably wounded everyone inside. The windows shattered pelting whoever was unlucky enough to be in the small building with razor sharp shards. However all that become irrelevant for the occupant's of the tower second later when a burst of Le Cruset's weapons connected with it and the HEAP rounds blew it up.

That fucking bastard just did not care who he killed! And right now I could not do much more than run and buy as much time as possible for the civilians to get in the damn shelters. In this confined environment my Dragon, at least in its MA configuration was in severe disadvantage. I could not use it's speed to good effect in here, not to mention that when in this form the X311 was simply not maneuverable enough to compete with Rau's custom machine!

One of the computers in my cockpit screamed in warning as a new contact was detected. I grinned wolfishly and the Dragon shot out propelled by its powerful engines, away from the central spine. The white MS followed, its machine gun and arm mounted gatling cannon blazing after me.

Moment later Le Cruset broke his pursuit. He was forced to evade shots from an orange Moebius Zero's linear cannon. The X311 spun around in as tight turn as I could manage given my high speed. That gave me a great view of the short lived duel between the two ace's. The ZAFT commander, evaded the shots of La Flaga in a way that made it look ridiculously easy. The white MS weaved around the shells going his way, moving like a lethal dancer.

Their two machines closed the distance between them in a matter of moments all the while their weapons were blazing at each other, yet neither managed to score something more than a glancing hits, which were easily defeated by their armor plating. It was over in a blink of an eye. Le Cruset had cut in half the barrel of the linear cannon which was mounted under the nose of the Zero, disabling the operational weapon that La Flaga had. All that happened before my MA could complete its turn and I could took aim at the white MS.

I started cursing quietly. With Mu virtually out of the engagement that left me alone against the masked man. For a first time since I arrived I was thankful to whatever was numbing my feelings, because right now that meant that the mind freezing terror that was spreading through me had barely any effect on my performance.

The Dragon moved its nose towards the white mobile suit. For a second a positive lock flashed on my targeting computer and I clamped my right thumb on the trigger for the Dragoon pods. I was not crazy enough to use the "Scylla" cannons within Heliopolis. Those monsters were perfectly capable of wrecking the colony by themselves.

The first two beams missed, blowing a tree covered hill in the distance. The second salvo grazed the small, triangular shield, covering the outside of the white MS's left hand and the gatling gun it was holding. To my satisfaction, the rotatory cannon was damaged enough for its ammo to cook off and it exploded spectacularly. Even better, the detonation took out the left hand of Le Cruset's machine.

I howled with joy at the sight! I actually hit the bastard!

My exuberance was short-lived. The crazy bastard acted as if his machine was not maimed and used its unimpeded maneuverability to move away from the cone of my forward mounted weapons. He proceeded to unload the magazine of his machine gun at my MA, which blasted by him.

The X311 was rattled under the barrage. The harness keeping me from bouncing all around the cockpit, cut painfully in me as I struggled to retain control under the onslaught. Then, suddenly the attack stopped. Probably the gun was out of ammo.

I sped away from Le Cruset. I used the sleeve of my left hand to brush out the drops of cold sweat that had appeared on my forehead during the battle. I though about the performance of the Dragon's MA configuration. Its maneuverability was below that of a Moebuis. However it was much faster machine. So speed attack runs. While the inside of the colony was far from ideal for such tactics, that was my only chance. Besides, this way I was able to hit Le Cruset though the bastard was distracted by Mu.

I headed back to the area where the remains of the Morgenroete facility were smoking and glared at the white MS. It was flying straight at the Strike and the kids who I could see hunkering down behind the trailer it was protecting. I snapped few shots in his direction, in a futile hope to discourage him from his attack run. However we were at such angle that if I aimed too close to the cunning bastard I risked harming the civilians. They and Kira's Gundam were between me and Le Cruset. Simply put, the beams of the Dragoons were too powerful to use near civilians who were outside of armored vehicle or hard cover. The fact that the Strike was between them and the target area probably was not enough to protect them.

As the distance between the three of us shrunk I stood in my seat gripped by indecision. I was in a position that I dared not use my damned overwhelming firepower. I am sure that there was a ROB somewhere that was watching the show and laughing its ass off while munching popcorn or whatever passes as such for being like the one who sent me here.

With a resigned sight I pushed my MA's engines to their limits in atmosphere and pointed the X311 straight at Le Cruset, who was moving left and right to present a harder target.

**=GSI=**

**Part 4**

**15:53 PM; Orb colony Heliopolis**

My suicide run was interrupted by a massive explosion, which shattered the ground between the Dragon and Le Cruset's MS. Chunks of smoking rock and half melted metal flew in all direction. The shock-wave threw us both off course. I hoped that the civilians were all right.

Fortunately the brunt of the pressure wave was headed away from the Strike and the kids it was protecting. Even better, while I fought to stabilize my MS I watched with satisfaction how the Archangel emerged from the smoke, moving out from the makeshift exit she had made for herself. What put a smile on my face was the sight of Le Cruset's machine scrapping the side of the left "leg" of the brand new carrier and bouncing off it after wrecking its left leg.

The captain of the ship wasted no time and peppered the white MS, which was hastily retreating, with CIWC batteries and soon launched four missiles after the bastard. The X311 spun in a tight turn and flew in pursuit. I probably will never get another chance to end the bastard as good as this one.

He headed to the central spine of the station, flying backwards and shooting at the missiles. He downed the closest two before a lucky shot from one of my weapon's pods took out the right hand of his suit up to the elbow. He danced away from my next attacks, twisting in what should have been impossible maneuvers. My beams were missing his machine by centimeters, passing close enough to scorch the white paint of his Mobile suit.

The third missile was barely few meters away from Le Cruset, when the lucky maniac reached the spine and ducked behind it. The remaining ordinance was not agile enough to follow him and slammed in the structure that was preventing Heliopolis from being shattered by its own rotation. It was fortunate enough that the abused spine was able to tank the two hits and survive.

My vision was briefly disrupted when I flew through the flames and smoke caused by the missile hit. The Dragon shook as burning debris rained all over it.

Then I was past the twin fireballs and was frantically looking for the ZAFT machine. There was no sight of the bastards on either the sensors or the cameras. I headed to the hollow inside of the spine from where I hoped to go out of space and hunt down Le Cruset before he could return to his ships or call reinforcements. I just knew that if he got away he'll be a giant pain in the ass. Not to mention the most likely source of my demise, with the EA brass and the Blue Cosmos imbeciles which controlled them like puppets as close seconds.

I decided the newly made hole, thanks to the Archangel's missiles would be my best bet and turned the X311 in that direction. I was nearing the still, burning and smoking segment of the spine when my radio cracked. Apparently after Le Cruset left the jamming was lifted.

"This is Lieutenant Mu La Flaga calling the G-Weapon pilot. Respond."

Well, bollocks. Instinctively I snapped to attention in my seat. Obviously the Hawk had trained his subordinates too well, and some of that carried from my host body and the few memories of the man I possessed. Needless to say, La Flaga was one of the last persons in this universe I wanted to speak with considering the circumstances. I probably should abuse the amnesia part for all its worth. That at least was even accepted as a fact by the alliance brass who were just peachy because it had apparently not affected my piloting abilities too much. And since when did I start thinking of myself as the pilot in whose body I was stuck, damn it?!

**=GSI=**

When he followed Le Cruset in the bowels of Heliopolis, Mu La Flaga had no illusions about his chances. Not after his gunbarrels were blown up by his rival. He had only his linear cannon left, while the MS of the ZAFT ace, a ZGMF-515 CGUE. If the intel weenies were correct for once, that was on of the models ZAFT were testing as a successor of their aging GINN MS frame. It was a high performance weapon, which was much more agile than his banged up Zero. However, Mu could not let the enemy commander free reign inside the colony. So he charged after the coordinator in a desperate gambit to damage his MS enough to force a retreat. That way he might be able to save something from this debacle.

Once La Flaga was inside Heliopolis he started searching for his target, briefly glancing at the greatest concentration of destroyed and smoking buildings, where the Morgenroete facility should be. He noted a MS, one of the G-Weapons kneeling next to a heavily loaded trailer. Good. At least one of those things was still out of enemy hands.

Multiple explosions all around the central spine of the colony alerted Mu for the location of Le Cruset. He briefly wondered what the enemy commander was shooting at when he saw a black and silver mobile armor trying to evade the ZAFT Ace. According to his briefing, which he received before being ordered to this place as additional security for the transfer of the weapons, that was on of the prototypes.

It was obvious to La Flaga, that the G-Weapon was not maneuverable enough to deal with Le Cruset. Its pilot was trying his best to avoid the bulk of gunfire and counted on the Phase shift armor to deal with whatever he could not dodge. It was an attrition battle. A race between the energy reserves of the two machines and whether whatever ammunition the ZGMF-515 CGUE was carrying would be enough to deplete the batteries of the... What was that machine called? The Dragon? Yes, that was it.

With Mu, flying to support his fellow Earth Alliance pilot, he saw how the MA banked away from the spine. Le Cruset followed and made a nice, fat target. La Flaga pressed the firing button for his linear cannon and frowned when the white MS evaded his shots. He pressed the attack.

What followed was short and brutal maelstrom of dodging war machine and hails of gunfire. He pushed the Moebius up to its limits in a desperate maneuvers which kept him alive. The few rounds that connected with his MA hit the armor plating in such angles that they either bounced or just scrapped the hard material.

Then he was out of time and space to maneuver. Le Cruset used the sharp edge of the shield covering the back side of his MS left hand as a melee weapon which bisected Mu's linear cannon.

Left without any offensive weaponry, La Flaga was left helpless to watch the outcome of the duel between the Dragon and the ZAFT commander. To his astonishment, thanks to a lot of luck and the timely appearance of the Archangel, Le Cruset was beaten back. He noticed that the unknown pilot was about to pursue his masked nemesis, however that was not a good idea. There were three ships out there and from what he saw earlier, Mu knew that at least half of their MS were not yet deployed, not to mention that he was able to notice at least two of the prototypes, obviously captured ones, heading to the ZAFT task force. He had no intention of letting the pilot of the Dragon commit suicide and loose the G-Weapon. So he hailed him and waited for response. Just in case, he headed in the direction where the other MA went.

"This is Lieutenant Delkatar Veil, from the Earth Alliance. I've been attached as a pilot to the G-Weapon project. It's good to heard your voice again, boss."

Mu La Flaga stared through the canopy of his Zero at the other MA which was slowly making its way towards him. He could not believe his ears. Granted, the voice sounded right, but that was impossible! He saw that man die!

**=GSI=**

GAT-X311 Dragon – Second Prototype transformable mobile weapon;

Unit Type: G-Weapon Project Prototype;

Manufacturer: Morgenroete

Special Feature: Transforms between MS and MA configurations.

Head Height: 18.38 meters

Standard Weight: 88.3 metric tons ( 80.13 metric tons with Dragoon pods disengaged)

Power-plant: Ultracompact Energy Battery

Pilot Accommodations: Single pilot, standard cockpit in torso

Armor: Phase shift armor

Armaments:

2x"Igelstellung" 75mm Multi-barrel CIWS; Mounted on the head. Antimissile defense; Used to destroy light vehicles;

2x 50mm Beam Dragoon Pods, wire controled( with option for wireless control); Multi-vector assault platform;

2x "Lancer Dart" Hypervelocity Kinetic Energy Penetrators attached to each Dragoon Pod; Acts as short-range missile which penetrates enemy armor and then detonates;

Beam Saber: close combat weapon;

Shield: Simple shield with anti-beam coating, could be mounted on either hand.

60mm High Energy Beam Rifle : Primary Energy weapon when in MS mode;

2x "Scylla" 200 mm Multi-Phase Energy cannon ( scaled down from the prototype mounted on Aegis); Primary weapon when in MA mode.

Technical Notes: The production of this suit is direct consequence of the success of the limited production Moebius Zero Mobile Armor against ZAFT MS. It is meant to be the next evolution of that weapon system. It is the hope of the team developing this G-Weapon that the MA configuration will enable EA pilots to successfully use the X311Dragon even before they have finished their training with its MS configuration. This should allow limited deployment of this weapons system and its planned derivatives months before pilots for the rest of the G-Weapons are trained in sufficient numbers for their battlefield deployment to have a positive impact on the war.

This unit has enhanced communications and analysis capabilities in order to act as a command platform of future Dragoon MS/MA hybrids.

However the X311 has two main drawbacks. Due to more complicated internal structure, it was harder to produce than the other prototypes with the exception of the Aegis which was originally the only planned G-Weapon with transformation capabilities. It shares the second problem that the X303 has – due the multiple modes of operation it requires pilot with skills much higher than average to master this machine as well as longer time to use all modes effectively. Despite that, as noted above, in only MA configuration (and basic MS movement), a pilot could be trained considerably faster than our other MS.

Note2 : When Phase armor is active, the Dragon is colored black with silver lining, similar to the Blitz ( with silver instead of red coloring); Its outward appearance is like a cross between the Aegis and the Blitz.

**AN: Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny. They belong to their respective creator, copyright owners and publishers. This work is not created with any commercial aims. I make no money from it. ****

**AN: This chapter was edited by ace_of_the_arts on spacebattles forums. Thank you for the effort!**

**Phase 02 : Shattered Dreams  
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**=GSI=**

**Part 1**

**16:11PM; Orb colony Heliopolis**

I wonder who has bigger problems – fellas picked up by a ROB and dumped in a new world without a back story or someone like me – who gets stuck living another man's life. You see, after the Archangel had blown her way out of the hangar she had been trapped in,and no sooner had she landed in front of the Morgenroete R&D facility than I was ordered to help with loading the surviving G-Weapon equipment. And Only once that was finished was I to report to La Flaga and the ship's commander. I had no doubt that an interesting conversation was waiting for me. In the Chinese sense of the word.

Kira and I used our MS to hasten the loading process before we landed in the starboard hanger of the carrier. I popped the cockpit open and exited the Dragon only to see my greeting committee moving my way. That was a female ensign who had a short black hair and purple striking eyes, followed by a pair of sailors and a few engineers. What was her name? Badriguel or something like that I think. Farther behind her I could see Mu hurrying my way as well. He had stowed his machine in the other hangar so it was no surprise that my fellow pilot was not the first to meet me and start the inquisition.

To make the set full, Lieutenant Ramius, who had been near the Strike, speaking with Kira's cluster of teens headed my way too. That's the moment I thought about a little complication which should have been obvious to me if I had been thinking with a clear head. Thanks to the way ROB decided to insert me in this universe now there were three officers with the same rank on the ship. With no clear chain of command to boot.

I expected a lot of things to happen. What happened was not one of them. The ensign, who was filling her white, red collared, uniform in an eye catching way, marched until she was standing in front of me, glared at me and then tried to hit me. My left arm moved on its own volition before I could comprehend what was happening and slapped her fist away from my face. Her fist brushed the right side of my jawbone.  
>I jumped backwards startled by the unprovoked attack and took a combat stance I am sure I was not familiar before ending up at this world. I looked in confusion at the furious woman who was glaring daggers at me. The two sailors behind her had surprised expressions on their faces. Apparently they too had no idea what was going on.<p>

"Ensign! Explain that's enough! Explain yourself!" snapped Ramius in a commanding voice that brooked no argument.

To my amusement, when she heard the tone her superior officer had used, Natarle automatically snapped to attention. Some drill instructor or, considering she was navy, probably a chief petty officer, should be proud.

"Ma'am! I am sorry, ma'am!"

The show cast became full, when a smiling La Flaga reached us. Unexpectedly he gave me the explanation for why Badgiruel tried to slug me.

"Well, Veil, I see that you've reunited with your girlfriend." His voice dripped with amusement. "Though your new rank could put a wrench in your fun... " He trailed off pointing at my lieutenant insignia. "No matter. Whatever problem you two have stow it and deal with it on your own time."

Wait, what?! I looked at Natarle startled. Fuck. Another complication that I did not need. I wondered who will be the next friend of the Delkatar Veil from this universe to come aboard Archangel...

Badgiruel gave me another withering glare.

"I thought you died..." she muttered quietly and gave me a searching look before straightening up, turning around and saluting La Flaga.

"I am Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, Sector Two, Fifth Special Division, sir. This incident won't be repeated, sir!"

My former commander returned the salute and introduced himself. Not that there was anyone in the Alliance military that did not know his name and face – you could see his grinning mug on recruitment and propaganda posters all over the Earth sphere. That thought stopped my thoughts in their tracks. Probably the same was true about me. It sure would explain the strange looks that the military guards at the space ports had given me. Bloody hell, that was the last thing I needed. I winced at the thought.  
>Meanwhile, Ramius make her introduction too. She was from the same outfit as my apparent ex flame.<p>

After saluting her, Natarle looked around with a frown which looked almost cute on her face. I knew what her problem was. It was the same reason I was glancing at Mu and Ramius. La Flaga grimaced and rubbed the back of his head.

"Now, Ensign, if you are finished with our revenant Lieutenant Delkatar Veil over here, I want to ask permission to come aboard. May I ask who is in command?"

Natarle lowered her eyes at the soft reprimand she could hear in Mu's voice. She straightened her back and answered.

"I am afraid that I am the only officer on the Archangel, sir. I am sorry to report that the captain and the rest of the officers were greeting the new pilots on the docks when the attack commenced. They did not make it. At least about a dozen of the NCOs survived the attack and managed to board the ship with some of the crew and marines. Therefore I believe that it is Lieutenant Ramius who is in command of this vessel, sir."

"You mean that the captain is..." Ramius was shocked to hear that news.

It looked like the dead of the captain hit her hard.

"Oh, man, what an unmitigated disaster," groaned La Flaga. His shock was short lived and in moments he was serious and back to business.

"In any case, please grant me permission to stay aboard. My ship was destroyed in the initial attack."

"Ah. Sure. Permission granted. What about you, Lieutenant Veil?"

"That's easy, ma'am. I am assigned to the Archangel as a pilot for the Dragon. I hope I too have permission to stay aboard, sir?"

"Permission granted." She glanced at my machine and looked a bit relieved.

I think that having at least one pilot that was supposed to be qualified on a G-Weapon as well as two of the prototypes on the ship helped her calm down after the shock of the attack.

"Lieutenant Ramius, who are the kids?" I asked and pointed at Kira and his friends who were chatting in front of the Strike.

She gave us a brief explanation of how Yamato ended up in the Gundam, which surprised the crew of the Archangel. To be fair, taking out a ZAFT ace while piloting a machine that you had no training for and not to mention that never sufficiently damned OS was impressive indeed. However, even if I have not watched the anime, it did not take a genius to foresee what would follow. It was inevitable that someone would guess that the kid was a coordinator.

Mu gave a brief smile to Kira and then turned to Natarle.

"I am supposed to be an escort for the young pilots assigned to the G-Weapons. Where are they?"

"I am afraid that they were with the captain. As far as I know, none of them made it, sir."

"I see," muttered La Flaga.

We needed Kira as a pilot of the Strike. Furthermore, he was my best bet for an OS upgrade on my Dragon before reaching Earth. At the moment the kid's help was invaluable. First things first, though. I hoped that the bomb which my former boss was about to drop would not have worse consequences than in the show.  
>Mu went closer to Kira, who wanted to know what the hell was happening. Then with no warning, La Flaga spoke softly.<p>

"You are a coordinator, aren't you?"

A lot of gasps followed Kira's affirmative answer. A group of marines, armored with flack vests and carrying assault rifles, who had come to help securing the hanger, gripped their weapons harder and pointed them at the perceived threat. They looked warily at Yamato. I wondered what they expected? He was an untrained civilian for God's sake, not a damned ZAFT commando.

Kira's friends surrounded him in attempt to protect him and wanted to know if the marines were out of their minds. Something that I wanted to know too.

Ramius and I barked orders at the same time.

"Lower your weapons, men!"

"Stand down, damn it! They are civilians, not a threat!"

The armed soldiers reluctantly did as ordered.

"I believe that an explanation is in order, ma'am," said Natarle in a respectful tone. However the look in her eyes said it all. She did not agree with the presence of the teens on the Archangel.

"It's obvious, really. This is an Orb colony. Neutral space, our presence notwithstanding. Considering their policies is it so surprising that there are coordinators here who do not want a part in the war?" I said while my best glare was split between Natarle and the marines. I looked at Yamato. "I am right, aren't I? Besides it's not like he has any choice in who his parents are or what decisions they made for him."

"That's correct. I'm a first generation coordinator."

"Which means that your parents are naturals. So if you fight, no matter on which side, it will be against your people," declared La Flaga.

Mu apologized for revealing Kira's origin then looked at the Strike wistfully.

He told us how the original pilots assigned to the G-Weapons struggled to make them even move, just like me when the Dragon was in MS configuration. I had to be very careful while moving the equipment containers in the ship. More than once I nearly overbalanced the machine and fell. As things stood it was a suicide to use it in combat outside of the MA configuration.

"What do we do now?" asked Natarle.

"We have two real choices – fight our way out or stay put, wait for the next attack and try to eliminate as many as possible of the MS which Le Cruset sends against us. But, knowing the bastard he'll send his units armed with heavy anti-ship weaponry. A battle here has high chances to wreck Heliopolis not to mention that the Archangel could not use either its speed, maneuverability and heavy weapons while inside. The same goes for the Dragon. My primary cannons in MA mode will easily punch all the way through the colony's hull."

"I have the same thoughts. If you ask me we can't afford to spend too much time here," Mu agreed.

"However, so far we've loaded only the G-Weapon equipment. The ship is seriously under-supplied, and there are a lot of things we could retrieve from Morgenroete," interjected Ramius.

"Ma'am, you are in charge of the ship so in the end the decision is yours." I looked at the Lieutenant who was still dressed as an engineer.

"We need to load more munitions and supplies before leaving, though I loathe the thought of another battle inside."

Unfortunately she was right. It was a relatively long journey to the nearest EA base and I did not know how much of its consumables the Archangel had in stock. After a brief conference with the engineers it was clear that we could not leave immediately. The CIWC ammo was only twenty percent. Without the close in antimissile guns operational, the chances of the ship getting to the nearest friendly post, much less Earth were minimal. All that needed to get through were few heavy missiles and I had no illusions that Kira and I will be able to stop everything even if the enemy did not have Gundams to throw our way.

**=GSI=  
><strong>

**16:30 PM; EA Archangel, Orb colony Heliopolis**

While the most of the crew were busy bringing in more supplies or running maintenance on the Gundams and trying to fix Mu's Moebius, I found myself in the mess hall, drinking a cup of coffee. There I was confronted by La Flaga and Natarle who wanted answers. Oh boy.

I waved them to the nearest table. At least the compartment was otherwise empty. What I was about to say to them was not for everyone to know. Beside I needed to clean up the air between the three of us. There were more than enough problems going around without personal issues or mistrust.

"So, Knight, what the hell happened to you?!" Mu exclaimed. If you are wondering that was my call sign. Perhaps later I'll go into detail how I got it.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The disjoined memories of the man in whose body my mind was placed came to the front.

"I believe that you both know that I was shot down at the battle of Endymion. To say that I was in a bad shape after that would be an understatement that would make any British proud."

"How bad?" asked Natarle with a cool voice. Her face was an unreadable mask.

"I was clinically dead for longer that is healthy." I gave them a sad, lopsided smile. "Someone high up the EA brass decided that my skills were too precious to loose. So I ended in the hands of a bunch of butchers who were trying to make soldiers capable to fight with coordinators on even terms."

For a minute there was silence while my words sunk in. Mu gave me a piercing stare which was oddly comforting.

"What do you mean 'make' them?" asked La Flaga.

"They were trying to create super soldiers who could match the coordinators. The ONI folks with who I ended later, and that is another story about which you do not have the need to know right now, told me that most of those experiments were disaster. I apparently was lucky despite the side effects..." I trailed off thinking about the fate of the other human CPUs and the way the poor bastards were treated.

"Veil! Enough with the evasion! Tell us what happened to you!" Ah, good old Mu. He was never one to tolerate bullshit.

"The general term amongst the Atlantic Federation science team that operated on me is Human CPU. Increased reflexes and reaction times, physical strength at least equal to that of coordinators. There are supposed to be two types according to what ONI told me. Boosted men and Extendeds. Both have been augmented chemically and with cybernetic implants. Both need regular doses of medicaments or the nervous systems starts to deteriorate and then there is a danger of implant rejection and which is fatal. The Extended program is supposed to be a more subtle and effective approach that the Boosted men one but its recipients require, let's say regular 'maintenance'. The little ONI managed to find about that gives was enough to give me nightmares."

The pair of EA officers listened to me with a rapt attention. Natarle had a disbelieving look on her face while Mu was grimly nodding.

"I've heard some nasty rumors about the Boosted men program," muttered La Flaga, "How bad is it?"  
>"I haven't tried to go without my meds for too long. Fortunately I'm apparently something in between the two programs, a middle stage if you will. As far as I know, only the Boostedmen will be ready for deployment in the foreseeable future. The Extended program is in purely experimental stage and I was 'lucky' enough to be a guinea pig for some of their hardware. So the side effects are not too bad. However, the combination of the operation and the time I was clinically dead resulted in massive memory loss. While I retain my skills most of the rest is a blur. Though I am getting flashbacks from time to time and remembering things." I looked at Natarle whose eyes were gazing at the floor. "I am sorry to say that I did not recognize you but given your reaction I guess we were close."<p>

She raised her head and our eyes met. I felt like falling in two pools of purple light.

**Flashback**

I was sitting in a Coffee which was near one of the small gardens under the domes of Luna City on the Moon. Across a small, round table, a beautiful apparition, wearing a red, summer dress was sitting in a chair identical to mine and smiling brilliantly. I was laughing at a joke my date had told me. I absent mindedly noted that I should thank to Hank Jensen, an old friend from the academy, who had arranged for me (and persuaded me after a lot of insistent pestering) to go to a blind date. For a change that turned out to be an excellent decision if the great time we were having was anything to go by.

We were both ensigns with the EA, looking for an opportunity to chill off after the pressures of a war that was going badly. We had a few days of leave on the Moon while waiting for secure military transports for our next assignments. As it turned out we were going to be attached to Eight Orbital fleet which was out on maneuvers right now.

I found her funny and pleasant company. She was the first thing that made me smile after the last two battles that I took part. In both encounters with ZAFT the squadrons I was attached to were all but wiped out. I had managed to down three enemy MS in the different engagements and thanks to my performance I was assigned to a unit which was going to fly a new type of Mobile Armor.

I was listening Natarle talking affectionately about her family, who were an old military dynasty within the Atlantic Federation. Her soft voice calmed me down, somehow making the stress flow out of me. For a short time the horrors of the war were forgotten as I was listening to my date..."

**Flashback End**

I came back to reality to see a painfully familiar, concerned face hovering centimeters from me. Without thinking, my right hand, gently brushed an unruly lock from the face of Natarle. I smiled despite not being entirely sure where I was.

"We met at that nice, little Coffee shop at the Galileo's Sector in Luna City. Nele, you were stunning in that red dress..." I murmured.

Her eyes widened a bit, then she gave me a heartwarming little smile.

"Ahem. I do not like to interrupt you two lovebirds but there are few more things I need to know. But first are you all right?" Mu interrupted the awkward moment.

I shook my aching head trying to clean up my mind.

"I need an aspirin," I groaned and stood up with the help of Natarle.

I looked at her sadly. She still cared or perhaps was even in love with a dead man. Damn it, ROB neither of us needs something like this right now, damn it all to hell!

For few seconds I felt anger but it was soon ended by the general numbing lack of feelings Ihad been experiencing since being placed in this new world. There really was only one thing I could do for the ensign right now.

"Natarle, after all that happened... I am not the same man you knew. I'm sorry." I turned around and left, refusing to meet her eyes. I prayed that if I ever started feeling again, I won't be haunted by whatever feelings the man I possessed had for this poor woman. So much for ROB not being a bitch.  
>I heard Mu saying something to her but I was already exiting the door and wasn't paying any attention. I needed at least few minutes of shut eye. I think that the pressure of everything that happened was getting to me.<p>

**=GSI=**

I just reached my new quarters and fell in the small bed when Mu caught up to me.

"Hey, Delkatar!"

"Lt.," I muttered.

La Flaga leaned on the wall near the door and studied me for a while.

"You could have handled that better."

I rolled my eyes.

"How exactly? All I remember of the woman is pieces of a date. I know that she was pleasant company. That's about it. Hell, I could not remember either her face or name. I have no idea how I'm supposed to be feeling about her, neither do I know what kind of relationship we had, if any. So what the hell would have me do, Mu?!" I snapped at the other Lieutenant.

Something in the tone of my voice made him reconsider his next words. Probably it was the desperation.

"You really do not remember, do you?" It was a declaration rather that a question.

I shook my head in denial.

"It's miracle that I'm alive and with some pieces of my old memories or personality. Or so they tell me. From where I'm standing there is not much to be happy about. There are moments when I do not know who I am anymore, " I said quietly.

After a long pause, Mu started speaking. I felt that he was choosing his words carefully.

"That is for you to decide." He came near me and unexpectedly tapped me lightly upside the head. "But, no matter if it's selfish or not, I hope that there is enough left in there from my old friend."

He did not have to add that we both had already lost too damn many friends to the endless appetite of this war. My headache intensified as a bunch of familiar faces which I knew I have never seen in my life flashed in my mind. I almost could put a name on each of them. I groaned. What the hell was happening to me?!

**=GSI=**

**Part 2  
><strong>

The conversation I had with La Flaga and the beginning of an existential crisis was interrupted by shouting. Someone was arguing just outside my quarters. If I was not mistaken, I was placed next to the kids in order to keep an eye on them. Mu and I looked at each other. We had a pretty good guess what was happening outside. Our newly elevated glorious leader was trying to persuade Kira to pilot the Strike. You could guess how good that went.

I stood up with a groan. I knew that I should have felt badly about what I was about to do, however there was nothing. Just an unidentifiable sense of unease. I stretched my aching muscles and was regarded with a quiet pop in my back. That felt better.

When we exited, Kira, who was surrounded by his friends was saying something about how he wanted no part in the damned war. Part of me wished that I could grant him that wish. Kids had no place in the maelstrom of fire and death but I knew that all too many children were involved anyway. The war did not care.

"Lieutenant Ramius, Kira. What is this god awful racked about?" I asked innocently. Next to me, Mu snorted when he heard my tone.

I ignored the attempted explanation during which everyone but me and Mu tried to talk simultaneously. After all I knew what the problem was.

"Silence!" I snapped in a not too bad imitation of the tone of voice that a barely remembered DI from the academy loved to use on us poor newbies. That was a particular nightmare I did not regret mostly forgetting.

"So, the nice Lieutenant over here," I waved at Murue, "is trying to persuade Kira to continue piloting the Strike." A bunch of empathic nods answered me.

"And you," I fixed Yamato with what I hoped to be an unnerving stare, "want to go back home and away from this madness. Understandable."

Ramius glared my way but I ignored it. Instead I asked her a question.

"Lieutenant, what is the status of the shelters?"

"They are at condition nine because of the attack. All of them are sealed. The good news is that when I checked few minutes ago the evacuation was almost complete."

"Small mercies," I muttered and returned my attention to Kira. "You have three choices kid and none of them are good ones." I started counting on my fingers. "First, you and your friends could leave, which will place you in the area which the ZAFT will attack any time soon. With the shelters closed, even if that bastard Le Cruset did not authorize the use of heavy weaponry which could hole the colony and vent its atmosphere, you won't be able to get to a somewhat safe place in time. I do not need to tell you what will happen if you are outside in the crossfire between this ship and a bunch of Mobile Suits whose pilots will be out for blood, do I?"

The kids had palled and were shaking their heads. Yeah, the picture I was painting was not pretty but it was true.

"Second, you stay on the ship. I doubt that Lieutenant, excuse me ma'am, Acting Captain Ramius will kick you out when there is the danger of imminent attack. In this case you'll be passengers and could only hope that I'll be able to keep the ship in one piece when ZAFT come gunning for us. In that case you'll be our guests until we reach a safe port."

I could see that the teenagers liked that option better. Kira however looked torn. Smart boy. It looked like that he was aware that we were more than a week, at best, from the closest EA station.

"However, sooner or later Le Cruset will deploy the four stolen prototypes. Even if Mu's Moebius is fixed by then it will be very hard to keep them away from this ship. And that is without counting the other MS ZAFT has or their ship."

Yup, what was behind door number two did not look so appealing after all.

Ramius was looking between me and Kira with a raised eyebrow and a frown on her face, while Mu's features were carefully schooled into a total lack of expression. However there was that mischievous twinkle in his eyes that looked damned familiar.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" moaned Kira.

I felt for the kid. Really! He was between a rock and a hard place just like me. That however did not stop me from manipulating him.

"And there is your third choice. You pilot the Strike and together with the rest of us," I waved at my two fellow lieutenants, "you do you damned best to keep this ship in one piece and protect everyone on board."  
>I gave him a hard stare.<p>

"It's your choice to make, Kira. With your help our chances are much better. That's all I can promise you."  
>Ding dong. Time for another interruption. This time it was in the form of alarms and Natarle's voice calling the captain. Ramius went to a comm panel which was embedded in the wall next to my room and we soon heard what the racked was about. Increased N-Jammer interference and increasing emissions of active ECM. ZAFT was on its way.<p>

I am glad to say that our new captain acted without hesitation and started to snap orders immediately after learning about the situation. Mu was sent to the bridge to command the close in weapons, just like in the anime. She turned to the kids.

"With the shelters sealed and an incoming attack I could not let any of you leave. It's too dangerous. Let's hope that all of us make it through. Lieutenant Veil, prepare to launch." She gave me the order and hurried to the bridge.

He stiffened. I could almost see waves of anger radiating from him.

"You are not being fair!" spat Yamoto.

"It's not. Welcome to the real world kid, it's not a nice place. However that does not make anything I told you any less true. I can't ensure the security of this ship alone."

I patted Kira on the shoulder in attempt to reassure him and headed to the hanger. It was show time. I only hoped that I'll be able to do something and prevent the destruction of the colony.

Before I turned the corner I heard running steps behind me. I looked back and saw Kira sprinting after me. I smiled. Good lad.

**=GSI=  
><strong>

**16:58 PM; ES Archangel, Orb colony Heliopolis**

'Here we go again,' I thought. For a second time I was in the cockpit of the Dragon, preparing for battle. This time, the stakes were higher. Beside the safety of everyone on the Archangel, the homes of a few million people were at stake. Plus whoever would die when their shelters/lifeboats get damaged or destroyed by stray shots.

"Our top priority is to escape Heliopolis. Be careful not to damage the colony during battle." I could hear the captain's voice through my comms.

I re-checked my harness and sealed the helmet of my flight suit. Then I went through my mental check list again. All systems of the X311 were nominal. The connections with the catapult were green. A beam rifle was secured to my Gundam though I did not believe that I'll be able to use it in this engagement. The shield resting on the left arm of my machine was something else. When transformed it would provide some additional armor to the underside of the Dragon, something which was always useful as far as I was concerned.

I was plugged in and listening on the command channel. One of Le Cruset's maniacs just blew a hole in the colony in order to make a new entrance. Things just got real.

I checked the command circuit of my machine, which had direct connection with the Strike.

"Kira, keep a level head and do not forget to check your sensors. You can do this. Good luck, kid."  
>Moment later the order to launch came through.<p>

"Dragon, you have a green light. Launching now." The voice of the chief engineer sounded through the cockpit of my Gundam second before I was slammed into my seat by an insane acceleration. In what felt like a blink of an eye the Dragon flashed through the "leg" of the Archangel and then I was outside the ship.

This time I felt different. An icy calmness spread through my body. The numbness that was plaguing me lifted, leaving me feeling alive, full of energy. I hit the switch and the Dragon transformed in its MA form.  
>A panicked voice sounded over the comm – apparently the Aegis was detected. I hoped that Athrun will be indecisive long enough for me and Kira to deal with the GINNs. So far there were five of the mass produced MS. Two were armed with heavy beam cannons and the other three had racks with four heavy torpedoes each. The latter group was my primary target. I left the rest to Kira and the Archangel.<p>

The Strike was locked in a deadly dance with a Beam Cannon wielding GINN, whose pilot was good enough to avoid Yamato's attempts to cut the ZAFT MS into pieces with a beam sword as tall as the Gundam. Meanwhile the other artillery unit was dividing its attention between bombarding the wildly maneuvering carrier and taking snap shots at Kira. The two GINNs acting as missile platforms were flying in evasive patterns and searching for opportunity to torpedo our mothership. Something that could not be allowed.

I fired a burst at one of the ordnance heavy enemy MS's, discouraging it from reaching a good attack vector. It evaded my fire, which struck a parking lot on the ground. The resulting detonation obliterated scores of vehicles of all types.

The enemy pilot turned my way and unloaded six small missiles from launchers mounted on its MS thighs. I held the trigger for my Dragoon pods and headed straight towards the incoming ordinance. Beam after beam of blue colored energy preceded my flight. A missile was detonated midair. Another was shattered by one of my shots but failed to detonate. Then a third and a fourth.

In the last possible moment I banked upwards, interposing the shield slung at the belly of my MA between myself and the weapons seeking my destruction. The Dragon was thrown upward by dual explosions. I was rattled and almost ejected from my seat despite the harness keeping me secure. My ears were ringing from the sound of the explosion. However my displays showed that all everything was still working all right and even the shield, which was protected by Phase armor too, was mostly intact.

The X311 emerged from the smoke of the explosion unharmed. The GINN that was my first target had chosen to avoid the barrage I sent at his missiles by going up too. I shot at him while its pilot was trying to target me with the anti-ship torpedoes. One beam missed and went on to destroy another piece of Heliopolis. The second however was spot on. It hit the right rack with heavy missiles just as the coordinator fired at me. The GINN disappeared in a center of a titanic explosion which blinded my sensors and cameras for the next few seconds. I banked left, seeking to avoid the spreading ball of fire and plasma.  
>When my screens cleared I saw a huge ball of smoke in the sky and the tumbling form of a single torpedo which had somehow survived the conflagration. I helplessly watched as it impacted a residential neighborhood and whipped it out of the map in a flash of fire.<p>

With a vile curse on my lips I returned to the battle. In the next few seconds, while I was closing on my next target, I had a great view of the battlefield. Kira managed to slice in half the GINN he was dueling with, obliterating the machine and its pilot. Moments later, the Archangel used its primary beam cannons to nail one of the missile equipped MS's, which had expended most of its heavy ordnance. I could see a sea of raging fires below the carrier. The ZAFT pilot obviously had missed and laid waste to a big part of the colony's interior. All that destruction and it was little more than a minute after the beginning of the battle. I dismissed those thoughts and continued my hunt.

I had to deal with the remaining GINNs because the Aegis was making a beeline towards Kira and the kid was about to have his hands full. I shouted a warning over the comm and raced towards the nearest enemy. It was the last of the torpedo armed machines. The same one which ended unintentionally destroying Heliopolis after being hit by the Archangel.

The Dragon leveled its flight path and took careful aim. The ZAFT machine, was sluggish thanks to all the ordinance it was carrying. It unloaded its light missiles at my mothership but it was just far enough for the close in defenses to handle them. I snapped six shots in quick succession. My aim was not the GINN itself but rather its torpedoes, which were the real threat. Its pilot showcased his skills. The machine weaved around my fire, dodging first, then second and ever third beam. The fourth however connected with its left leg and shattered it, staggering the MS. My fifth shot struck the shoulder of the GINN from above and penetrated deep within its torso moment before the last beam bisected the right torpedo rack. The last missile platform disappeared within eye-searing conflagration, never to be seen again. In its last seconds, the enemy pilot managed to release one of his heavy weapons.

The active torpedo flew in the general direction of the Archangel and was shredded by the CIWCs. I released a breath I did not remember holding. Heliopolis should be safe for the moment.  
>I should have known better that taunting Mr. Murphy with that thought.<p>

The Strike and Aegis were floating mere meters from each other and their pilots were shouting at each other on the open comms, the bloody idiots. I was searching for the last GINN when Athrun's Gundam lunged forward and tackled Kira's machine. A thick, continuous beam of emerald energy passed through the place the Strike was occupying a second earlier. I watched with dread as the anti-ship cannon shot struck the colony's spine, melting a large hole in it. Even kilometers away and I could hear how the metal groaned under the unimaginable stress of the attack and its primary function – preventing the colony from shattering under its own momentum.

The X311 dived, its engines whining in protest of being pushed to the limits in atmosphere. My hands were flying all over the controls with cold precision. That shot had revealed the location of the last artillery equipped ZAFT MS. I lined a shot and pressed the trigger. Apparently Ramius had the same idea because two anti – MS missiles and a barrage from the Archangels cannons struck the GINN almost at the same moment as my beams. That executed in anger attack was an overkill which not only obliterated the mobile suit in the heart of sea of flames but blew a new hole in the colony's hull. While bad, that strike was not fatal for Heliopolis.

However, the hit on the central spine was something else. Rotated my MA so I could take a closer look. The structure anchoring the whole colony was shaking but I did not know if it was as an after effect of the last attack on it or if it was because its weakened structure no longer was able to fulfill its primary function. Everyone who was able watched the spine with rapt attention. I could hear the sound of groaning metal.

Is that it? I wondered. Did my presence made a difference or was Heliopolis doomed no matter what?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny. They belong to their respective copyright owners and publishers. This work is not created with any commercial aims. I make no money from it. **

**Phase 03: Confrontation**

**=GSI=**

**Part 1**

**17:05 PM; Orb colony Heliopolis**

I was staring at the central spine of the colony. The reinforced metal from which it was crafted was moaning like a wounded beast. A large segment of the construct was a glowing, half molten wreck. I thought that no amount of engineering and redundancies build in could safe Heliopolis from the wound the last GINN inflicted, yet the colony was still in one piece. Mostly.

I looked over my camera pickups. Even if the spine somehow held together it wouldn't do much good. At least ten gaping holes, open to space, could be seen from my position. The atmosphere of Heliopolis was busy being sucked by the vacuum of the space or being consumed by the voracious appetites of multiple infernos which were annihilating vast residential and corporate districts. At least the fires will be gone as soon as there was no more oxygen to fuel them.

A high powered, automatic, emergency transmission blasted on all channels.

"Attention! Attention! Heliopolis has suffered critical damage. All life boats will be launched momentarily. Brace for acceleration."

So much for saving Heliopolis though I guess that if someone decides to foot the bill the place might be salvageable. I was no engineer though so I did not know if an attempt to repair the appalling damage dealt to the colony was feasible. Besides there was a war going on so I did not believe for a moment that anyone would even think about starting such a project at a times like these.

On the bright side, Heliopolis did not shatter so most of the colonist should be OK. The only casualties should be those unlucky enough to be in life boats situated in areas hit by heavy weapons.

All that was academic if Le Cruset's people attacked again and finished wrecking the station. It was time to get out of here.

"Kira, stop messing around. We should leave before ZAFT attacks again. Heliopolis has sustained too much damage already. Another battle in or near it could result in a blood bath for the residents. "

"The Lieutenant is right, Kira. We are leaving."

My sensors pinged, informing me that the Archangel was picking up speed and heading to a huge rend in the colony's hull. It was a bit smaller for the ship to fit but it was nothing that a few surgical shots

from the main canon's could fix.

Kira stood frozen for few more moments before turning around and heading for the ship.

I flew as a vanguard and planned to deal with any ZAFT MS which were waiting on the other side. The X311 screamed out of the colony, with the escaping air giving it an extra bit of velocity.

The moment the Dragon exited the grievously wounded colony, it started series of wild, evasive maneuvers, which proved to be futile – there was no visible enemy in range. The only thing my sensors could detect were shoals of escaping life boats and various debris, which were tumbling through the void.

"Archangel, this is Dragon. No enemy units in sight. Your line of fire is clear of civilians. Proceed."

"Affirmative, Lieutenant Veil. Please stay on CAP duty."

"Roger that."

I was flying "above" Heliopolis and using the advanced sensors built in the Dragon as a makeshift AWACS platform. However it did not help much. Scores of escape pods were launching from the colony. I guess that whoever was left in charge wanted the civilians away while they tried to halt the rotation of the massive construct before it shattered under its own momentum. It made sense. The life boats had better chance if they got away without pieces of the colony flying everywhere.

For us that was a two edged sword. The hundreds of new sensor contacts made long range detection very hard at best. So while it was unlikely that I'll be able to detect another ZAFT sortie before they were close, the same was holding true for them.

"Archangel, this is Lieutenant Veil. It is a god damn mess out here. I believe that our best chance is to leave right now. The life boats will conceal our position and give us a head start. Depending on what ships ZAFT has out here, we might be able to outrun them without further combat. "

That was not likely but it was not a chance I was willing to pass.

"Affirmative, Lt. I passed your message to the captain."

It was up to Ramius, I guess.

**=GSI=**

Four shots from the carrier's dual mounted main cannons and the ship had made the hole in the side of Heliopolis big enough for its bulk. The Archangel exited slowly, carefully matching its course to the slowly rotating makeshift door. Once the ship was safely out of the colony, me and Kira received order to land. I thought that the boss lady had made her decisions and we were out of here. I should have known better.

We all received a distress signal which was differed from the countless life pod beacons which were blanketing the air waves.

One of the nearby pods was damaged when something blew up near its berth. I wondered if that was the same on which was Flay, the ministers daughter. It would be an incredible coincidence if, despite the changes, that happened anyway. If that was the case, I thought that my work would be even harder because in that case the probabilities here might very well be screwed into making more likely a future resembling the one I was sent to change.

I shook my head. It wasn't as if I could do something about a thing like that. I just had to do my best. Which, right now was to argue with Natarle who did not want any more civilians on the ship. It was cold blooded outlook she had but not without good reasoning I think. The Archangel was undersupplied and undermanned. With the flush of people brought on board, our situation would worsen.

"Ensign Badgiruel. The nearest ships that can provide help, besides the ZAFT task force which is attacking us are at least a week away. If we do not help the people in the damaged pod are as good as dead. You should also take into an account that a neutral colony was wrecked because of our presence. When this becomes public knowledge, the media will have a field day with both the EA and ZAFT. Lets not make things worse. Besides how would you feel to be left to die in a damaged escape pod when there was someone who could have helped you?!" I snapped over the link with the Archangel. " Kira, pick the damaged life boat carefully and carry it to the ship. We need to get out of here before Le Cruset's men came calling again. I do not want to fight with so many civies flying around. Every miss could hit multiple life boats."

**=GSI=**

**Part 2**

While Kira was maneuvering the escape boat into the starboard hangar I landed in the other "leg" of the ship and let my Dragon in the capable hands of the engineers who hurried to change my machine's batteries. While the X311's energy reserves were not particularly drained I did not fancy the thought of going in combat with something less than fully charged power. I headed for the other hangar wondering if the history repeated itself and we just saved Flay's boat.

This time, unlike when the shuttle brought me to Heliopolis, I was well aware of the microgravity in which I moved. The closest way I could think of describing the feeling was to compare it to a cross of swimming underwater and floating on the surface. It was unsettling that a part of me found it utterly mundane while for the rest of my mind it was a scary novelty. Yet, moving in this new environment was natural. After all the training and experience the man I whose body I was inhabiting had received, it was not something that should have needed thinking about.

I found my way to the starboard hangar and smirked at the sight that greeted me. Kira was slowly floating to the bulkhead next to which his Strike was parked. He had a girl with fiery red hair in his arms... and a knee long pink dress which was obviously not a recommended clothing for a place where you lacked a firm gravity...

Yup. She had a veeery nice pair of legs on her. Too bad that she was a jail bait. And a ministers daughter to booth...

"Men! Stop gawking at the lady and back to work!" I snapped at the deck hands who were supposed to service Kira's Gundam and fix the last Moebius Zero in existence.

"Kira, you probably should escort the young miss to the crew quarters and help he find something more appropriate to wear considering we lack normal gravity.

"Eeek!" Flay squealed.

It was an ear piercing shriek. It was just now she noticed that her dress was floating and revealing an interesting sight...

"After that come find me. I'll be either in my quarters or with the captain. We need to talk."

I turned my attention to the one of the few marines guarding the hangar.

"Call few more men to help the civilians settle down, corporal."

"Sir! Yes, Sir!" The man gave me a textbook salute and moved to a comm terminal installed close to his position.

While our unexpected guests were dealt with I made my way to the bridge where I found the rest of the command staff of the Archangel arguing.

"We do not have appropriate Alliance codes! Who knows how Artemis would react to our appearance!"

"We don't have much choice. Our provisions are low. We might made it to the Moon but not while fighting on the way there."

"I may have a fix for that problem. I have ONI authorization codes. Artemis should recognize them. However what Garcia would do after letting us dock there is another question. It depends on what ONI personnel are stationed there. "

"Garcia!? I hate that guy..." groaned Mu.

"So do I but what choice do we have? We can't outrun ZAFT. Not with that Nazca out there." I noted.

"I understand the situation." said Ramius.

"I am sure that Eurasia will understand our situation."

"I wouldn't be too sure. The commander of Artemis is an opportunistic bastard. However that is still our best chance. We should be able to contact Luna base from there and I hope that me and whoever ONI has watching over that rock will be able to keep Garcia in check. But first we must actually reach the base in one piece..."

**=GSI=**

**ZAFT Nazca class, Near Orb colony Heliopolis**

"At least the colony survived. If you can call it that. The council might be lenient about the damage we dealt to it." muttered the captain.

"Its not nearly as bad as Julius Seven. Its not like you could call Heliopolis a neutral colony with it producing advanced weapons for the Earth Alliance." declared Le Cruset.

"What would we do now? We are out of Mobile Suits. The only ones remaining are what's left of yours and the wrecked GINN which helped blow a way through the colony's outer hull." That had taken the combined firepower of said MS's heavy beam cannon and the two remaining ZAFT ships main armaments.

"What are you talking about?" scoffed the masked man. "We already have the data from the captured machines and it is being sent to ZAFT as we speak. There is no reason whatsoever not to send these machines after the legged ship."

"We have trouble finding them within that chaos over there." the captain pointed to the main view screen which showed hundreds of escape boats flying around the cylinder of the colony.

"Sooner or later they would have to make their minds and either seek sanctuary in Artemis or dash towards the moon. We'll take position that will allow us to intercept them no mater where they choose to run. My bet is on Artemis. I do not believe that they had time to resupply properly before we attacked."

**=GSI=**

**EAS Archangel, in the vicinity of Orb colony Heliopolis**

After we made a plan that had reasonable chances to get us to Artemis in one piece I headed to the living quarters. I needed to have a chat with Kira. Mu had similar idea and tagged along.

"You did well out there." he said.

"Thanks. But it was not good enough. Heliopolis got wrecked anyway."

"At least most people made it to the shelters in time."

"Small mercies." I muttered.

Mu slapped me on the back.

"Don't go mopping around. If its anyone's fault, blame who you should – Le Cruset."

"Oh, I most certainly do. How have you been after what happened with the rest of the squadron?" I changed the topic.

La Flaga grimaced.

"I've been better. It was a dark time. "He gave me a winning smile. "At least you got back from the dead so its not all bad."

"Yeah. Lucky me. "

"It beats the alternative. "

We reached the crew quarters. On the way there we passed by a check post where the civilians picked by Kira were identified and assigned place to stay. In a case of someone with skills we could use, the NCO handling the affair was nicely asking for the man or woman's assistance. That way we picked up a doctor who was now busy fixing the captain's shoulder.

We found Kira surrounded by his friends and Flay. She had gotten into a uniformed trousers to the eternal regret to the male members of the crew. It looked a bit strange under her pink dress but it was better than letting her flash the men on board.

"Kira, I've got news from Murdoc, our chief engineer. We are understaffed so he wants each pilot to help maintain his machine. "

"I am no soldier! Do you honestly expect me to continue flying the Strike?!" he exclaimed.

"Yup." I grinned at him. "Do we have to have the same conversation again? Me and Mu can't protect the Archangel from two battleships and four Gundam's by ourselves. You know that the OS of the Dragon is not worth the hard drive space it takes. I am barely able to use it as a heavy loader in MS mode much less in combat! You are a bright kid. You can imagine what will happen when Le Cruset sends the rest of the G-Weapons against us."

He winced. He had seen enough of me flying in the X311 to conclude that its agility as a MA was less than stellar.

"That's about what I wanted to talk with you. I saw you with the Strike. Either the machines are with different OS or you tweaked yours."

He looked guilty at that.

"I... ah...had to change it so I could fly the Strike."

"Splendid. If it is not too much bother I want you to see about fixing the OS on the Dragon."

"That's a good idea, Kira. With the three of us we may be able to protect everyone until we reach a safe harbor."

He glared at us.

"You two are a pair of manipulative old bastards!" he pouted.

"Yup. What gave us away?" grinned Mu.

"I thought that it was common knowledge by now. Eh. Our carefully crafted reputation is ruined! Ruined, I tell you!" I faked distress.

Kira chuckled at our antics.

"I'll think about it piloting again but its no trouble checking the OS on your machine."

"Thanks, Kira." I turned to the red-haired girl with a thoughtful expression on my face.

"I can swear that I've seen you before miss. And I don't mean the accident in the hangar."

She blushed with her face becoming almost as scarlet as her hair.

"I am Flay Allister. I do not think we've met before." She stammered from embarrassment.

"Ah. You are the daughter of vice-minister George Allister, aren't you?"

"Yeah. He's my father."

"That figures. There's where I've seen you."

"Have a good day, miss Allister." I nodded at her and headed to the hangar.

I had no intention to irritate the people making sure that my MS was in top form. They had a lot of creative ways to make my life a living hell without really endangering myself, the Dragon or Archangel and her crew.

**=GSI=**

The two ZAFT battleships were searching for the silent running legged ship. They were spread covering the most likely vectors for flight towards the Alliance fortress of Artemis. Their captains had disregarded what they believed to be a decoy flying towards the moon and were hunting for the illusive prey that was the Archangel. The Laurasia class detected a ship's silhouette at the edge of her sensor coverage. It was slowly moving in the direction of the EA base. The comm chatter between the two ZAFT crafts spiked and their engines roared to full military trust. The three main beam turrets of the Laurasia class traversed and took aim. Crimson beams with white tingles on the edges stabbed through the void of space.

**=GSI=**

**Part 3**

**19:26 PM; In the vicinity of Orb colony Heliopolis;**

The plan was simple. To maximize our chances for reaching Artemis, we needed to do something about the two enemy ships stalking the Archangel. That is where the "Scylla" cannons on my Dragon came in. The X311 was floating next to a piece of space debris which had been drifting in this region of space for a long time. The Archangel was a considerable distance away. She was moving slowly, under full blackout. The course of the experimental carrier was carefully chosen to be one of the most direct and thus short vectors to the Eurasian fortress. If the ZAFT did not cover it, the Archangel would have a great chance to reach the safety of the allied base before they could intercept the ship. So odds were very good that at least one of the enemy warships would make an appearance.

I was not disappointed. My sensors detected two thermal blooms of engines roaring to life. I checked the geometry of the enemy positions and smiled. I should be able to get to the Archangel before the second ship was in range. Perhaps even before its MS could reach my mother-ship. My targeting computer was able to determine that the closer ZAFT craft was a Laurasia class, so unless there were more changes from what I knew of the Gundam Seed series the Gundams were on the other ship. Well, I could not get everything my way, could I?

I aimed my first shot only using my MA's cameras and passive sensors. It would not be as accurate but it would give me the element of surprise. I waited for ten endless seconds as the computer refined its long range targeting solution and gently squeezed the trigger.

The Dragon shook when twin beams of scarlet death lanced forward. No doubt the ZAFT craft already knew my position but the enemy warship simply had no time to evade. It could not move fast enough to generate a miss if my targeting was good enough.

Without waiting to evaluate the effects of my first shot I engaged the engines to full power and sprang towards the Laurasia class. My sensors went active as well as my ECM suite.

**=GSI=**

**19:27 PM;**

**Laurasia Class Gamow's Bridge, Near Orb colony Heliopolis**

Captain Vega Zallman was sitting calmly in his command chair. He did not let it show if he was in any way apprehensive about leading the charge against a ship that by all accounts was at least generation beyond his own. The so called "legged" ship was now on his sensors and his crew were busy refining targeting solutions.

Zallman was pressed back in his seat by the acceleration as the Gamow's engines were burning to intercept the enemy craft. He could almost hear the cannons mounted on the three main turrets of his vessel moving in their housings and aiming at the white ship.

He was proud from the swift and precise actions of the men and women under his command. After months of painstaking training and brutal combat, they were forged into a well oiled machine.

"Guns, fire when you have positive lock." the Captain ordered.

"Yes, sir!" came the immediate answer from the ship's weapons officer.

However that was not to be. Two spears of pure energy streaked towards Zallman's ship. He had a moment to comprehend that his command was ambushed after the sensor operator shouted a warning. The ships pilot was already taking evasive maneuvers but the Captain knew that it was too late for that. Before the Gamow could obey the command of her helmsman she was struck.

Mercifully enough only one of the two energy beams connected. It struck on an upwards angle. The blast of crimson pierced the starboard turret and proceeded to smash its way through the short pylon on which the central of the three primary dual-cannons were mounted. Two thirds of the heavy energy weapons of the Gamow were erased in an instant along with twenty five of her crew. The ship listed to its port side. It was physically moved by the kinetic energy of the beam.

"New contact! Heading 2-01-15! It is approaching at high speed."

"Evasive pattern Beta 3. Launch anti-MS missiles. All CWCS on stand by for automatic fire." said Zalman in a calm voice, as if he was not doing something more stressing that ordering groceries.

"Energy spike!" shouted the sensor operator.

"Brace for impact!"

**=RK=**

**X311 – Dragon**

It was a race between myself, the captain of the Laurasia and Le Cruset's Nazca class with its Gundams. One I was about to win. Before the more powerful ZAFT ship and its MS could become a factor I unleashed the Multi-Phase Energy cannons on my Dragon for the second time. That was second before my target answered with a spread of four missiles which boosted in my direction.

Both my shots pierced the MS hangar under the main body of the frigate. The high energy beams cored the compartment which was engulfed by hellish flames when some of the ammunition contained within was detonated. The ZAFT ship shook and was thrown off course by the internal blasts.

I opened long range fire on the missiles heading my way. The beam cannons mounted in my Dragoon pods made short work of the incoming ordinance.

**=RK=**

**ZAFT Frigate Gamow**

Captain Zalman bit off a curse when the Mobile Suit bay of his ship was wrecked. At least it was empty of personnel ever since the GINN compliment of his frigate was wiped out so no additional victims from that strike beyond the crew-members who were not secure in crash webbing when the attack hit.

"All missiles intercepted short from the target. Its some kind new mobile armor."

"Rotate the ship and head in its direction!" ordered Sinclair.

With the turrets which could face to the starboard taken out with the first lucky hit, the Gamow could not meat the incoming enemy with heavy firepower if maintaining her current course. The CIWCs would be unable to faze the attacker. With so much heavy firepower, the enemy pilot did not need to come in their range.

**=RK=**

**X311-Dragon**

A small part of my mind, what I could recognize as a remnant of the man I was before being flung in this universe was frantic. This was not my damn war! Yet, here I was – flying a high tech dead machine and doing my best to snuff out the lives of few hundred people. But those protests were distant, quiet. Ice water was running through my veins. There was no real pity and regret in what was the dominating part of me – the phantom of a super soldier built on the operating table. There was only the mission. The ship I was firing on was simply that – a target, instead of a craft carrying living, breathing human beings.

The lethargy and apathy that were my constant companions eversince I awoke here were gone, replaced by lethal, calculating precision.

The Frigate changed its bearing and ponderously made a turn to bring its remaining heavy weapons to bear. The Dragon gave me the dual warnings of multiple targeting sensors locking onto me and of new contacts appearing in front of the Nazca, which was racing this way. I disregarded them for the moment and shot again before receiving the positive lock tone for my own missiles.

The four "Lance Dart" KEP's separated from my DRAGOON pods and sped away to their destination.

My third cannon attack glanced the armored bow of the enemy warship leaving deep gorges of molten metal.

**=RK=**

**ZAFT Frigate Gamow**

For the first time since the start of this assignment, Zallman cursed out aloud. The last strike nearly destroyed the bridge and killed them all. As it was, the main power to the forward sections of his ship was cut and his bridge crew was illuminated by the eery red glow of emergency lighting.

He was listening over the internal comms, which were still operational, the frantic orders of his XO from the CIC burred deeper in the ship. The Mobile Armor was still coming and it had launched missiles which were not impressed by the countermeasures and ECM the first officer had deployed. CIWC guns opened fire and managed to damage one of the KEP enough for it to miss its target.

The other three struck the Frigate mid-ship and a moment later detonated. The starboard pod was torn away from the main body of the Gamow by the massive internal detonation that gutted the ZAFT craft. The wrecked spacecraft was finished by a pair of crimson energy shots which entered the huge gaping holes made by the "Lance Dart's".

Captain Zallman had a second to regret failing his crew before a chain reaction of blossoming explosions tore the Gamow apart.

**=RK=**

**X311-Dragon**

I was close enough to see how the Laurasia class was shattered by a rolling wave of internal detonations that fragmented the once proud craft. I had the blood of hundreds on my arms and I felt... nothing. I could almost hear a whispering in my head.

"_Target eliminated. Mission accomplished. Return to base."_

Whose were those thoughts? Mine? That of the dead man I possessed? A side effect of all the cybernetics stuck in my head? Or was I just loosing it? In the middle of a battlefield no less.

My short lived confusion was drowned by a wave of cold logic and I banked my MA to the right and headed to the Archangel at top speed. Behind me the four captured Gundams were heading our way followed by the Nazca class. The battle was far from over and I could not allow myself any doubts if I wanted to survive the approaching encounter with the ZAFT Aces.

"This is Knight. Target destroyed. I am returning to base and bringing company. "

**=GSI=**

**Part 4**

**Near Orb colony Heliopolis**

The Dragon raced through the distance between the ambush point and the Archangel. Behind me, the four stolen Gundams were in hot pursuit. The good news was that I would reach my mother ship with few minutes to spare before the enemy MS reached it. On the flip side, we would have to deal with them. I had the distinct feeling that with this being the real world, it was unlikely that either Kira or the Archangel had their plot shield. Neither did I.

With my X311 locked in MA mode until Kira had time to update its OS so I could use its full capabilities, I was in a great disadvantage. Facing run of the mill ZAFT suits within Heliopolis was bad enough. This coming battle was going to be much worse.

When I was close enough, my sensors detected the ship and Yamato's Strike which was small by comparison. There was no sight of Mu's Zero. So the plan was in motion. Or totally messed up by a technical screw up...

I took escort formation near the Archangel and awaited the arrival of the ZAFT forces. Unfortunately, I did not have time for a pit stop to get the Dragon's batteries recharged. My energy was down to seventy five percent.

"So, Kira, which pair of Gundams do you want?" I quipped on a private channel.

"Very funny." grumbled the kid.

"Three contacts detected! They... they are the X numbers! Buster, Duel and Blitz!" announced the sensor operator of the Archangel.

"Where is the Aegis?" I asked aloud.

The three captured machines moved in triangular formation in an attempt to braked the Archangel from behind. I flew to meet them, leaving Kira near the ship.

"Another contact detected! It's approaching fast from the starboard!"

"Strike, intercept the new contact." I ordered calmly.

From behind me, twelve Korintos missiles darted around my Dragon and sprinted towards the three Gundams moving on intercept vector.

Meanwhile, an unfamiliar male voice spoke across one of the channels dedicated for contact between the G-Weapons. With me piloting the second command model, I had access to the same communication equipment and protocols as Zala did. That permitted me to listen to his conversation with the kid.

"Kira!" exclaimed the ZAFT ace.

"Athrun!" I could hear the surprise in Yamato's voice.

"Stop it Kira! Put your weapons away! We are not enemies, am I right? Why you, a coordinator like us, must fight against your own people?"

"Well, if that is the case let us all go home!" I interjected with amusement filling my voice.

While we were idly chatting the battle was unfolding around us. I could see the Duel banking to its left and shooting down a missile homing on it. I let my Dragoon pods loose under wire control and opened fire at the X102. Its pilot was forced to maneuver erratically in order to evade my beam fire. I used the pods to keep him busy and targeted the Buster with my primary weapons sending a dual beam of crimson death its way. The artillery platform managed to twist its bulk so my shots passed harmlessly by the MS.

The Blitz was dancing around the missiles targeting it and blowing them out of the sky while moving towards the Archangel. The Buster, while maneuvering to make itself a harder target was also creeping towards my mother ship. Only the Duel was kept in check by the burst fire of my pods but I could not keep such a barrage indefinitely. Not while piloting a battery powered suit, anyway.

Behind me, the carrier was lit up by the fire of its weapons. Both anti missile guns and main weapons were filling the space around it with as much ordinance as they could in futile hope to discourage the enemy operated Gundams.

I mouthed a curse and cut loose the Dragoon pods leaving them on wireless control and headed to the ship. It was just a matter of time before either the Buster or Blitz find an opening to exploit.

Most of us were fighting for our lives, yet Kira and his friends were just flying around each other and chatting. Bloody kids.

"Why Kira!? Why are you siding with the naturals!?"

"I am not a part of the Earth Forces! My friends are on that ship! The same ones ZAFT almost killed when you wrecked Heliopolis!"

"Athrun Zala, is it?" I asked. "You should have thought about that before wrecking a neutral colony!"

"What about you, Athrun? Why did you join ZAFT and the war?" exclaimed Kira.

I shook my head with amusement. This was starting to resemble a bloody soap opera. At least Kira's sister was not with us. Yet.

"Athrun! Stop fucking around! Why are you not attacking!" shouted the pilot of the Duel.

The Dragon's communications suite had no problem intercepting the transmission and patching it to me. I wondered when the ZAFT pilots would catch up and understand that I could intercept all communications between the Gundams. I decided to show the Duel's pilot that I had not forgotten about him so I ramped up the fire rate of the pods. I could hear him cursing on open channel before he pushed his machine to the limits.

If it was not for my cybernetic enhancements there was no way I could multitask so much – controlling the Dragoons, piloting my MA in combat and carrying out a conversation with one of the enemy pilots. I had to keep a tight control over the pods in order to keep the Duel from shooting them down.

For some reason the Buster and Blitz's pilots decided that it was a good idea to attack the Archangel from the front. The supposed stealth machine flew in first using itself as a shield for the artillery platform. The Phase armor of the Blitz had not trouble tanking the shots from the CWCS and a barrage of light missiles. It was briefly engulfed by the combined blast waves of multiple explosions but moments later emerged from it unscratched. The best that attack did to it probably was to rattle a bit its pilot.

The Buster used the distraction provided by his fellow ace to move to the board side of the carrier and opened fire at the ships flank. Two anti beam charges detonated over that side of the Archangel and the first two shots from the Buster's beam cannon dispersed harmlessly before reaching the armor. However that type of defense bought a very short respite. As one could expect it was not a practical thing to use in space if your ships had to maneuver. The anti beam charges however were really useful for protecting static installations. Then the attacker had to haul KEWs to do the job.

The third shot from the cannon connected with the super-dispersive armor plating of the Archangel heating her until it glowed orange for few seconds. But it held and soon started cooling down.

The Blitz added the loads of its missile pods to his onslaught but before it could use its cannon again, the ZAFT pilot was forced to move it away from my mother ship. He had to do so or be lanced by my anti-ship cannons. I flew by the stolen Gundam, peppering it with rounds from by Vulcan cannons. While they had no chance of breaching its Phase shift amour, every hit drained a bit of the suit's power.

"Its too well armed! I can't get a clear shot! Not with the Mobile Armor trying to blast me away!" I could hear the words of the Blitz's pilot but did not reveal the ability to listen in.

The Duel flew under the Archangel, tanked through the barrage from its close in weapons and turned so it could target the relatively vulnerable belly of the ship. The carrier rotated too and aimed two of its main cannons at the Blitz which was forced to evade the energy blasts.

I shot at the Duel, preventing him from easily targeting my mother ship. I frowned when a red light started blinking on my display. The wireless connection with the Dragoons had weakened dramatically thanks to the energy thrown in by our combat. So the pods were returning to my location on autopilot. I cursed. Now the Duel was going to either go after Kira or join the assault on the Archangel.

**=GSI=**

**Nazca class ZAFT ship Vesalius**

"We are approaching the enemy vessel. Distance 740. The MS force reports that they are engaged by one enemy Mobile Suit and the MA which sunk the Gamow." reported the sensor operator.

"So they have not fixed yet La Flaga's armor." muttered Le Creuset.

"I believe that we can assume so." the captain agreed.

"Target the Legged ship with the main cannons. Once its dealt with their mobile forces are finished. We can simply wait for them to run out of energy before gathering the rest of our prize." declared the ZAFT commander.

**=GSI=**

**X311 Dragon**

I winced when a shot from the beam's cannon flak carried by the Blitz pelted my armor. It did little more than scorch the paint but it was an unpleasant reminder that my only advantage was the speed my MS had in MA mode. Every other Gundam had me beat in the agility department.

I heard a transmission from the Duel to the ZAFT ship. It confirmed that there were only the two of us deployed and that he was going after Kira. I hoped that Le Creuset would think that Mu's Zero was still out of commission after he trashed it earlier. While thinking to my old friend, where the hell was he?! I was down to thirty percent energy and Yamato's reserves would not last much longer while he was facing two enemy Gundams. It should be noted that as a command suit with more active system, the Dragoon had one additional battery built in giving it more combat endurance even when going all out.

I could see the dot representing the Strike on the edge of my sensors. Kira was dodging madly in all direction trying to keep his machine in one piece. He was desperately blazing away at the Duel with the occasional shot thrown Zala's way. At that rate he was going to run out of energy before me and considering how far away he was, there was no way that I could go to his aid without compromising the Archangel's defense. I believed that the carrier could survive for short time against the two Gundams but that was not something on which I was going to bet my life.

The Buster decided to make the life harder for Kira, at least until the Nazca was in range. Its pilot sent few shot at the Strike before I persuaded him that such an action was not good idea. A combined barrage from my main cannons and the pods which had returned to me bracketed the ZAFT piloted MS in a web of beam fire. The X103 remained largely untouched but one of its cannons got its barrel melted making it a useless piece of scrap.

The Buster headed towards the Strike while the Blitz disregarded the Archangel and flew at me.

I threw the Dragon in a spin barely avoiding energy beams which lanced at me. The damn thing was fast, neutralizing most of my sole advantage. At least it was designed as a close combat model. If it had more beam weaponry, I would have been in real trouble. However it did its purpose splendidly. It kept me busy while the other three Gundams were ganging on Kira. With the Archangel rotating to face the approaching Nazca class, there was no help to be had from there besides a single missile salve sent at the G-Weapons attacking Kira.

Where was that scoundrel La Flaga!?

**=GSI=**

**Zero Moebius, on intercept vector with ZAFT Nazca class**

Mu was getting restless. With no real cover to speak about, the two part ambush directed at the Le Creuset forces had to be carried out with some improvisations. Veil had managed to sneak up to the Laurasia class but his Dragon had weapons with much longer reach. So La Flaga was reduced to crawling on minimum power on a vector he hoped to lead him below the Nazca. Before the enemy warship could attack the Archangel.

Even at this distance he could receive weak transmissions from the battle. It was not going well. Kira was facing three of the stolen MS and Delkatar was kept at bay by the last one. The Blitz was fast enough to prevent Veil from simply outpacing it and going to Strike's help. Being unable to use the X311's MS mode in combat, there was not much Delkatar could do besides hoping to disable his opponent with lucky hit.

The Zero was drifting closer and closer to the projected course of Le Creuset's ship. Its passive sensors detected the enemy craft and the EA ace frowned. It was distant enough that he may not get the surprising attack he was hoping for.

A look of determination shone in Mu's eyes and he sped up at his quarry. The moment his engines got to full power he hit the afterburner. Any time now the Nazca would be in range.

It was a race between the last Moebius Zero and the crew of the ZAFT ship.

**=GSI=**

**Part 5**

**Zero Moebius, on intercept vector with ZAFT Nazca class**

Mu frowned. He felt the crawling feeling that always came over him when Le Creuset was nearby. The enemy ship was seconds from range when it banked to the starboard and opened fire with all its secondary weapons. The EA Ace simply shrugged and continued on his course. He released the gun funnels from their mooring. Moments later his Zero crossed the invisible line signifying that the Nazca was in range, and he opened fire with his linear canons.

All the firepower of his Mobile Armor was targeted at the engine section of the enemy ship. For seconds, so long they felt like hours, La Flaga's craft hurled itself in the Nazca's teeth. Only a great amount of luck and his superb skill as a pilot gave Mu a chance. He was even treated to a rare sight of pyrotechnics – on of his shells stuck the warship's defensive fire and blossomed into a crimson explosion. The annihilation of the two pieces of metal lit up the space around the Vesalius, momentarily drowning the lights of the short but vicious encounter.

"Yes!" exclaimed Mu when he hit near the spaceship's engine. Something vital detonated and the bulk of the Nazca visibly shuddered from the shock-wave.

That was his cue. The second part of his plan was suicidal. After the stunt he was about to pull out, La Flaga knew that he could hardly haze his revenant friend. Moments before the Zero passed by the stricken enemy ship, he launched a dart which was connected to his MA by a metal wire. This grappling hook pierced the weakened armor of the Nazca and unfolded inside.

In the last possible second Mu banked around the warship using the leverage provided by the wire connecting his craft with the much larger ship to change his vector in a turn that would have been otherwise impossible.

He nearly lost consciousness by the sudden G-forces falling upon his body but his suit did his job and barely kept him awake. Painted smile appeared on his face when he knew that his maneuver succeeded. Mu hit the afterburner for all it was worth and headed towards the Archangel.

Behind him the Nazca's crew was firing maneuvering thrusters in an attempt to prevent the ship from spinning out of control.

**=RK=**

**X311 Dragon**

A relieved smile stretched my lips when I received a message from the carrier. Mu had done the deed!

Behind me the Archangel was rotating to face the distant enemy warship. Various hatches on opened revealing its main cannons. I prayed that this time this Earth would be luckier and the shots would blow Le Creuset out of existence.

I knew it was unlikely but a man can hope, right?

"The Vesalius has been hit!"

"They want us to return?! Now?"

I could hear the exclamations of the men piloting the stolen Gundam. It was time to get Kira out of the bind he found himself.

"Archangel Actual, this is Lieutenant Veil. I am requesting fire support against the Blitz." I spoke calmly in my mic.

I twisted the Dragon out of the way of a beam shot and returned the favor against the enemy machine that was making my life hard. The Blitz danced away from my return fire, and I banked to the left so I could keep him away from close range.

"Archangel, do you copy?" I asked, wondering why there was no answer from my mother ship.

I frowned and glanced at the instrument panel to my left. I grimaced and felt like bashing my head against the closest, convenient flat surface. My comm was stuck in receive only mode. I thought about the battle while evading fire from the stolen machine.

It was stuck that way eversince the start of this battle. I remembered Kira answering me just before the enemy MS arrived. I shook my head in embarrassment wondering how I could forget something as basic as this.

Well, the answer was simple – I was out of my depth. While, thanks to ROB undoubtedly, I did have the skills of a competent soldier and excellent pilot, I lacked the practiced experience needed for what I was doing. Things that should have been a second nature were not. Not yet at least. I just hoped that I'll survive long enough to polish my skills.

The side effects of the operation that had put my body back in one piece were partially to blame too. Thanks to the cybernetic implants in my brain I found it very easy to multitask... however my mind was not accustomed to such actions. I was missing details, something I could ill afford in combat. I doubted that I had plot armor as Kira had in the anime. That said, here he, as well as the crew of the Archangel and the enemies we were fighting were real, blood and flesh humans.

That meant I could not afford to become complacent and assume that unless I changed something the events in this world will unfold just as in cannon. On shot moving few degrees in the wrong direction was all that was needed to ruin someones day. Permanently.

I did not have time to ponder such things. I continued to exchange fire with the Blitz and repeated my request for fire support. This time it was hear and approved. Seconds later I could see missiles launching from the Archangel which was below me and to the left.

The screens in the part of my cockpit facing that direction polarized for few seconds announcing that some of the cameras had closed their irises to protect them from the intense light created as a by product of the Archangel's main guns.

Le Creuset's ship had obviously retained enough maneuverability to evade at that range because I could hear disappointed reports over my still open channel to the carrier.

The salvo sent at the Blitz had better success. The agile Mobile Suit managed to evade one of the missiles and shot down two more. The last slammed into its side sending it on a new trajectory. Unfortunately that had a downside – a pair of beams shot by my main canons passed through its previous location moment after the detonation moved it away. Yet, it was not enough for the Gundam to get away unscratched. Its right leg was melted off just above the knee.

After that close call, its pilot decided that enough was enough and headed to his own mother ship.

I smiled. With any luck that damage would have disabled its stealth system.

"Kira break towards the Archangel!" I ordered before requesting that the carrier send few more missiles after the Blitz to encourage it on its way home. Soon another salvo raced his way.

"Back him up!" ordered Captain Ramius.

"It's impossible while they are in such a close quarters!" came the frantic answer from one of the weapons operators.

With that frustrating machine out of my way, I headed towards Kira who was dealing with the other three stolen machines. The Strike was dancing between energy beams, evading shots against which its Phase Armor offered no protection.

I was about a minute from entering effective range of the MS skirmish when suddenly the Strike's engines cut off and the suit started drifting. Damn it, the kid was out of power!

I saw the dot representing the X301 merging with the one of symbolizing Kira's machine.

"The Strike has been captured by the Aegis!" I heard an unnecessary report from the Archangel's sensor operator.

"I am heading to retrieve the Strike and Yamato. Vector Lieutenant La Flaga this way as well." I informed the Captain, and pushed the Dragon's engines up to full power.

As I raced to help the kid, I could hear the chatter of the ZAFT pilots.

"Aegis, what the hell are you doing? Your orders are to destroy it not to tow it home!" exclaimed on of the enemy pilots.

"I am capturing that machine." calmly answered Kira's friend.

"You are ignoring orders." Informed him another pilot.

"Athrun, what do you think you are doing?" wondered Kira aloud.

"You are a coordinator so I am bringing you home."

This was becoming a real soap opera. I shook my head at their antics. Perhaps I should not forget that all of those kids were teenagers despite being a group of elite pilots. Except Kira who was just an amateur with incredible potential.

"Archangel, prepare launch the "Launcher Striker" pack! I want it out in two minutes when I am in range of the Mobile Suits."

"Confirm that, Knight!" ordered Natarle.

"If I am remembering the specs correctly, that pack has built in batteries from which the Strike can siphon power. I'll distract the G-Weapons while Kira docks with them. His suit should still have some emergency power which he can redirect to the engines for such a maneuver." I explained my reasoning.

"Its dangerous, but it might work." muttered the Captain.

"Either that or I'll have to shoot down the Strike in order to deny it to the enemy. It is the prototype for the Mass Produced MS of the EA. It will be easiest to reverse engineer and put in production. Its bad enough that ZAFT got the other machines. I can't allow it to fall in their hands." I said quietly.

After few seconds of tense silence, Ramius ordered the launch of the pack.

I watched my sensors carefully as well as the information coming through the data link with the Archangel. Mu would be in range twenty seconds after me. I subtly reduced my MA's acceleration so we could attack at the same time. I sent him a message to target the Duel while I concentrated on the Buster. Those were our targets after we forced the Aegis to release Kira.

That at least was the plan and I had no reason to believe it should not work. In the original time-line, Mu had pulled it off alone, against all four captured machines. Yet, I felt uneasy.

The seconds that passed while I approached the fleeing enemy felt endless.

Finally I was in range. The Buster turned around and aimed at me with its beam canon, forcing me to evade. That cost me a clear shot at the Aegis, which I left for La Flaga to handle, and I opened fire at the artillery platform. At least that part of the plan was still working.

I saw the pinkish colored MS take hits from the Zero's linear canons and it released the Strike.

"Kid, use the override on your emergency power system. The Archangel sent a Launcher Pack for you. Go and get it!" I ordered while trading pot shots with the Buster.

The Strike floated helplessly for few seconds before its engines roared to life and it darted in the direction of our carrier.

I glanced at the level of interference around us and smiled viciously. It was low enough that I could safely use the wireless mode of my Dragoons. I sent the pods after Kira so they could provide him with covering fire, and less than twenty seconds later that decision was proven to be correct. The Duel had broken from trying to nail Mu, leaving my friend to the Aegis and flew after the Strike. I was locked in an artillery duel with the Buster so I could not go to help the kid.

The Dragoons however, which were under my control, earned their weight in any precious metal you care to name. The pods maneuvered erratically and attacked the enemy machine from two different vectors. To tell you the truth, I was not trying to hit the Duel, but only to prevent it from shooting down Kira.

We all continued that deadly waltz for the next minute or so, until the Strike went under the defensive umbrella of the Archangel. All this time, the carrier was accelerating our way.

The front of the warship was lit up as it opened with all of its secondary weapons on the Duel. The pilot of the captured machine took one look at the ordinance heading his way, and decided that discretion was the better part of valor. He made a tight turn while still banking around randomly to evade my pods fire and headed back towards his mother ship. Soon enough the Buster and Aegis disengaged too.

I glanced at my power meter which was at four percent and getting lower. This was an underwhelming resolution of the hostilities but at least we were all alive. The same can't be said for the crew of the warship I sunk. I idly wondered how long it will be before the full impact of what I've done hit me. I had killed few hundred people in my sneak attack, and felt nothing unusual. Whether it was because the drugs, the implants or a combination of the two I did not know. Though I believed that if was in their power, the bastards who had put my body back together, would have done their best to eliminate my conscience. After all, it was a pesky thing that could get in the way of following orders without question. Damn Atlantic Federation bastards!

I let those thoughts drift away and guided my Mobile Armor towards the Archangel.


End file.
